b'ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTSLets Get PoliticalIts Time to Talk about SustainabilityBILL ORRCanada Technical Representative1, 4 Group14group.comIM FRUSTRATED. More importantly,dormancy control. Naturally occurring,provides the internationally recognized farmers are frustrated. Farmers are beingthey act hormonally by triggering theguidelines for food productionhasnt pushed to produce more sustainably andproduction of natural dormancy enhancingyet considered or approved dormancy are making every effort. Unfortunately,enzymes inside the tuber. They also offerenhancing bio-controls. It could be our regulatory system isnt makingimportant secondary benefits, includingsome time before bio-control approval is sustainability improvement easy. decreased moisture loss and less bruising.considered since Codex meets once a year Heres the problem: CIPCwhich(Note: other bio-controls exist. While theyand only selects a few new recommended is now deregulated in the EU andonly offer sprout control and no secondaryproducts. Without Codex approval, many banned in Japanhas major residuebenefits, theyre still more sustainable thancountries err on the side of over-caution. concerns. Residues a critically importantCIPC).All countries have their own import consideration looking forward, not onlyWhile bio-controls are a proven,tolerances levels for all products.to retain market access to countries thateffective, much more sustainable storageBio-controls are absolutely necessary no longer accept CIPC, but also to preparesolution, they struggle to be approved.for agriculture to achieve a meaningful for a changing market reality. Regulatory agencies dont know howmove towards sustainability. The future of There are other options with zeroto classify and regulate bio-controls, andfarming depends on sustainable practices.environmental contamination downside.dont appear particularly motivated toAs an entire industry, we need to push Bio-controlsspecifically 1,4SIGHT andunderstand how and why bio-controls arethe discussion about bio-controls forward. 1,4SEEDare highly effective at managingcritical. The delay starts from the very top:We have a better optionits time were sprouting and peeping, working via truethe UN FAOs Codex Alimentarius, whichable to use it. Tackling Early Die ComplexGARY SECOR professor and researcher of plant pathologyNorth Dakota State Universitytricalgroup.comIF POTATO PRODUCERScould snapof water throughout the plant, until theproblem is usually inadequate rate which their fingers to solve the most costly andplant simply dries up.limits the volume of soil treated. If only a frustrating production challenge theyOnce early die gets carried into a fieldsmall volume of soil is treated, potatoes face, almost all would snap away earlyby infected seed, the inoculum requiresgrow out of the protective zone too die complex. Widely considered theonly three to four successive crops toquickly, limiting season-long suppression. most important yield-limiting disease inbuild up to challenging levels and canChloropicrin is highly effective against processing potatoes, early die can costsurvive in soil for 10 to 15 years, makingsome disease pathogens and nematodes, five to 30 per cent of yield. Yes, early diemanagement extremely difficult. Cropand it actively promotes soil microbial is difficult to manage, but the more yourotation doesnt work, neither doespopulations. Efficacy and that kind of know, the better youll be able to tackle it.biocontrol. Researchers havent beensustainability improvement are a true win-Part of early dies challenge is itssuccessful trying to breed agronomicallywin, especially given how critical social complexity. Its caused by a team ofacceptable resistant varieties. Seed andlicense to operate is becoming. invaders: the Verticillium dahliae andsoil treatments arent effective.Will producers have more tools in the Verticillium ablo-atrum pathogens, ofCurrently, the only viable managementtoolbox a decade from now? I hope Ill course (hence why early die is also calledoption is soil fumigation. However, therebe around to find out. Brilliant minds are verticillium wilt), but also Fusarium,is a push to phase out metam sodium.working on early die from all angles and lesion nematodes, black dot and likelyChloropicrin, sold as Strike, appearsnothing new has so far proven effective. other pathogens, nutrient deficiencies,to be the best up-and-coming option toBut you never know when a breakthrough and stress. Together, they essentially plugtackle Verticillium. While some worrymight happen. the vascular system, stopping movementChloropicrins results are inconsistent, the 44SPUDSMART.COM Winter 2022'