Agroinsurance

Australia - Mice crop and livestock impacts[:ru]Ausr

It's obvious to any producer that mice can be not just an annoyance, but a serious problem that can cause significant economic crop losses. The question is what impact could it have on Australian production for the 2021/22 winter cropping season? According to the latest CSIRO/GRDC feralscan mouse monitoring report, mouse numbers have reached moderate to high levels in southern QLD, central NSW, and parts of SA and WA. This has potential to cause damage at sowing for the coming winter crop. In other areas, mouse numbers are considered low enough to not be of concern, with the exception of the Victorian Wimmera and Mallee. No-till agriculture practices have reportedly benefited the mouse population, as burrows are not being routinely destroyed, continuous cover and protection is provided for the mice from the elements and predators in the paddock. However, the benefits of preserving soil structure which include superior moisture retention generally far outweigh any downside from increased pest pressure. Historical research conducted by Brown & Singleton (2000) into the actual impact of mice on crops at sowing found that mouse densities of in excess of 200 mice/ha have the potential to cause plant density reductions at sowing in excess of 30% for wheat and barley crops. Pulse crops generally exhibited higher susceptibility to mouse damage. In terms of final yield, low levels of mice below 150/ha cause small yield reductions below 5%. Brown (2005) found that wheat plants are most susceptible to economic damage from mice as the crop development cycle progresses, as the ability to regenerate and adapt decreases with maturity. In addition to the well-known impacts of mice, including consuming crops, destroying or contaminating grain and fodder stores, and damaging expensive equipment through their habit of chewing on wires; mice also pose some threat to animal health and productivity. Mice are a known carrier of leptospirosis, which has the potential to cause pregnancy losses in cattle, and a source of fatal botulism infection. Many producers routinely vaccinate their herds for leptospirosis and botulism, and considering calves have never been more valuable, the investment case has never looked as strong. Source - https://mecardo.com.au

This was the coldest April in the Mediterranean in the last 30 years

The spring weather has significantly affected the European summer fruit campaign reducing the production in northern Spain, France, and Italy. According to the National Federation of Fruit Producers of France (FNPF), there will be a 40 to 50% decrease in the country's campaign over the previous year; an estimate that could rise to 90% in the Rhone Valley. The same storm hit the Italian regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, and Lazio affecting up to 80% of the fruit on average. This drop in the international supply would normally benefit Spanish producers, such as those in the Valencian Community. However, the coldest April in the last thirty years is also having an impact on the Spanish productions because of direct losses of crops, the proliferation of fungi, and delays in work that can end up causing marketing difficulties. Jose Luis Sanz, a producer of peaches from the Ribera Alta, said that the excessive rainfall had damaged the fruit and caused losses of between 30% and 40% in the warehouses. Furthermore, another 10% of the production of the earliest varieties was lost in the field. The inclement weather has also affected the nectarines. According to the head of the AVA-Asaja fruit sector and former president of the Benifaio cooperative, Juan Jose Alepuz, the prospects at the beginning of 2021 were very good, but the excess of rains and sudden weather changes are damaging the skin of the fruit. "The campaign started with good prospects, especially after the results of last year, when high demand led to increases in consumption. But the weather has changed everything," he stated. Alepuz also said that the rains affected the stone fruit crops the most, as they were in a very advanced state of maturation and the earliest varieties were already being harvested. In view of the situation, the president of AVA-Asaja, Cristobal Aguado, asked producers and marketers that operate in the Valencian Community to remain calm because the objective market conditions, especially the lower national and European supply, would help all the links in the chain, including producers, to obtain fair prices. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Norway - FOL race 1 is a critical issue for lettuce production [:ru]Norway -

Lettuce is produced in Norway both in field and greenhouses. In Norway, greenhouse lettuce is one of the most important vegetables grown year-round. In winter 2018, wilting symptoms were observed on soil-grown lettuce of the cultivar Frillice in a greenhouse in southeast Norway (Buskerud county). Affected plants showed stunted growth, wilting of outer leaves, and brownish discoloration of vascular tissues of taproots and crowns. According to the growers, the disease caused an estimated 10% of yield losses. Scientists at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) isolated fungal pathogen from crowns and roots of diseased plants collected from the greenhouse in 2018 and 2019. Morphological and DNA sequences analyses indicated that the pathogen was Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae (FOL) race 1. The same results were showed by Koch'postulate. "Race identity was confirmed using the differential lettuce cultivars Costa Rica No.4 (resistant to FOL race 1), Banchu Red Fire (resistant to FOL races 2 and 4) and Romana Romabella (resistant to FOL races 1 and 2) provided by the breeding company Rijk Zwaan (De Lier, the Netherlands). Roots of six 2 weeks old seedlings per cultivar were inoculated by dipping in a spore suspension for 1 min, while controls were dipped in distilled water. Seedlings were planted in 250 ml pots containing fertilized potting substrate and were placed in a greenhouse with temperature ranging from 15 to 35 ⁰C and an average of 23 ⁰C. After 10 days reduced growth was observed in cultivars Frillice and Banchu Red Fire for fungal isolates. After 25 days wilting was observed in both cultivars. Affected plants presented discoloration of vascular tissue. No difference in growth was observed between cultivars Romana Romabella and Costa Rica No. 4 and their respective controls," the scientists explained. FOL was re-isolated from all inoculated cultivars but not from controls. The colony patterns of the recovered isolates confirmed that the isolate belongs to race 1. Greenhouse lettuce in Norway is mainly produced in hydroponics. FOL is here reported to cause damages in soil-grown lettuce. Nevertheless FOL in hydroponic systems has been reported in Japan in 2003 and Thailand in 2017. Thus, the possibility of infections in hydroponics remain a big concern for lettuce production in Norway. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Spain - Stone fruit in Valencia damaged by fourth hail storm in a month

Valencian agricultural producers are enduring a crazy spring, with a record number of rainy days and four hail storms over this past month. A few days ago, a new hail storm hit stone fruits in the region of La Ribera Alta, whose harvest is at an advanced stage, according to a first estimate of the Valencian Association of Agricultural Producers (Ava-Asaja). The most affected municipalities are the Marquesat (Alfarp, Llombai and Catadau), Benifaió, Alginet and Carlet. This hailstorm has been a new setback for many peach, nectarine, plum and apricot growers, with severe damages to the production and leaves on the ground. The head of agricultural insurance at Ava-Asaja, Isidro Lopez, said that: "It is still early to determine the extent of the damage. In a few days, we will have more data about crop loss, but what we do know is that the fruits that have been hit by hail will inevitably suffer skin damage, which will make them unmarketable." As for other crops, Ava-Asaja says that citrus and kakis have not suffered similar damage because they are at a much less advanced stage of cultivation. The hail storm reached other areas of the region and other counties, such as L'Horta Sud and Los Serranos, but without major consequences for the agricultural production. The organization recalls that since April 11, the autonomous region has recorded hail losses in the Plana Baixa de Castellón, the Vinalopó Mitjà, the Vall d'Albaida, l'Alcoià, El Comtat, the Canal de Navarrés, La Safor and La Costera. For this reason, it is asking the administrations for fiscal measures and direct aid to the affected producers. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

USA - Year's second freeze hard on fruit

In the overnight hours of April 20, temperatures fell into the 20s for about half of the state, triggering the second historic freeze event of 2021. While many horticulture producers were able to prepare by covering berries and other bush plants, peach and muscadine growers weren't able to muster such defenses. The first event, which occurred the week of Feb. 14, happened when many of the state's fruit crops were still in their winter dormancy, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Amanda McWhirt, extension horticultural crop specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said the second event caught many fruit crops at a particularly vulnerable stage of development. "After the February event, we observed some losses to peaches, blueberry and blackberry crops across the state," McWhirt said. "Unfortunately, crops whose floral buds survived the February freeze were then blooming or setting small fruit during our more recent freeze event." McWhirt and other Division of Agriculture researchers surveyed crops in several locations across Arkansas, assessing buds, blooms and fruit for symptoms of cold injury after the April freeze. They found that blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and grapes all saw varying degrees of damage. Blackberries After the February freeze, researchers observed minimal damage to blackberries throughout most of Arkansas, although some growers in areas of the state that saw the most extreme temperatures experienced near-total losses. In April, however, growers in the northern tier of Arkansas counties reported losses of 50% to 100% of primary buds and open blooms. Growers in the central and southern parts of the state saw very little to no damage on blackberries, with losses of 10% or less on primary buds. "Blackberries do have the potential for a crop on secondary buds. However, this crop is usually smaller and later," McWhirt said. "We will continue to monitor how this impacts production in areas where primary buds were damaged." Strawberries In both freeze events, strawberries in Arkansas largely benefited from natural or man-made cover, limiting losses in most of the state. "Deep snow cover saved the strawberry crop in most areas of the state during the February freeze," McWhirt said. "Afterward, we saw only minimal damage where plants were not covered or the snow blew off the plants. "Following the April freeze, we saw damage again where plants were not covered or where blooms or fruit were in contact with the row cover," she said. In the northwest corner of the state, where temperatures reached the low 20s in April, more severe damage to blooms and fruit was observed. McWhirt said much of that damage was due to temperatures being below freezing for five to seven hours, or in some cases more, likely resulting in some crop loss. Blueberries McWhirt said damage to Arkansas blueberries after the February freeze varied depending on the location and cultivar. Rabbiteye and some Southern highbush types had considerable damage in central and northern locations, she said. "Many blueberries were at full bloom or setting small green fruit during the April freeze," McWhirt said. She said researchers observed severe damage to blooms in Northwest Arkansas. "The full impact on crop yields will not be known for a few weeks," she said. While blueberries at some locations weren't affected by the April freeze at all, other locations may experience total crop loss. Grapes While Arkansas grapes -- both table and wine -- escaped the February freeze largely unharmed, the effect of the April event was more severe. Researchers observed moderate to severe injury on newly emerged shoots and inflorescences at many locations in the northern and central parts of the state, McWhirt said. "The full effect on crop loss is still to be seen and will likely be cultivar-specific in some areas," she said. "Grapes have secondary buds that can produce a small to moderate crop, depending on the cultivar." Muscadines McWhirt said many muscadines were "killed to the ground" in the April freeze event and will have to be retrained. The event will likely result in "total crop loss for the season, and possibly next season, in many northern parts of the state," she said. Peaches Arkansas peaches were by far the hardest-hit crop during both freeze events. In February, early swollen peach buds were damaged across the state. In some locations, later-maturing cultivars whose buds survived were still able to flower and set fruit. The fruit that set was then at risk for cold injury during the April freeze. Preliminary assessments after the April freeze found little damage in locations where low temperatures were 29-30 degrees or above. In areas where the temperature fell below 29 degrees, researchers observed near-total losses of small peach fruit. Mark Morgan, co-owner of Peach Pickin' Paradise, an operation in Johnson County, reported that the farm's 2021 peach crop would be a total loss. "Mother nature brought it hard this year with -9 in February and a hard April 21 freeze," Morgan said in an April 23 tweet. Morgan's farm is the first commercial horticulture production farm to participate in the Division of Agriculture's Discovery Farm program, which helps producers reduce input waste through edge-of-field water-quality monitoring. "We expect to still have some peach crop in parts of the state, but total volumes statewide will be reduced," McWhirt said. Moving forward McWhirt said the full extent of the damage from the April freeze won't be known for several weeks. She said growers should observe their crops for symptoms including fruit that fails to develop and falls off, misshapen fruit and secondary buds developing near the spots where primary shoots had first existed. "Secondary shoots are often longer and have fewer blooms per node," she said. "There have been significant crop losses due to cold injury in some parts of the state, but there is still potential for some of these crops to recover and produce secondary buds that will result in lower volumes of fruit and delayed harvests," McWhirt said. "Other locations have had minimal to no impact from cold injury." Growers hoping to salvage damaged crops should fertilize and irrigate as they normally would, she said. "'Extra' won't help at this point," she said. "And if the plants have a reduced cropload, they won't need extra fertility to grow." McWhirt said excess nitrogen can result in elongated internodes, meaning fewer nodes per length of stem or cane. She also said that normal fungicide programs for most crops should be planned for now. To learn more about extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers its extension and research programs to all eligible people without discrimination. Source - https://www.arkansasonline.com

India - Rain and wind causes widespread damage to Wayanad district crops

Wayanad is an Indian district in the north-east of Kerala state. Widespread damage to crops has been reported due to heavy summer rains and wind that have lashed the district for the past several days. The crop loss has been estimated at ₹510 mln (€5.6 mln), according to preliminary reports of the Agriculture Department. The rains severely affected crops, especially plantains, vegetables, pepper vines and coconut palms in Panamaram, Cheeral, Edavaka, Thariyode, Kottathara, Padinharethara, Thavinhal, Vellamunda, Muttil, Noolpuzha and Poothadi grama municipalities, said Sajimon, Principal Agriculture Officer, Wayanad. “Rain adversely affected 5,357 farmers in the district and crops cultivated on 817.74 hectares were destroyed,” Mr Sajimon said. Plantain farmers were the worst hit in the district. As many as 910,152 bunched and non-bunched banana plantains cultivated on 500.6 hectares were uprooted in the winds. An estimated loss of ₹481 mln was reported in the plantain sector alone and 3,788 farmers were affected. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Northern Ireland - Potato growers to receive Covid-19 financial aid

Potato growers from Northern Ireland whose incomes have been directly impacted by the pandemic will be eligible for financial aid. The support package will contribute towards the verifiable losses incurred by farmers and growers during periods of lockdown, and will help to address the cash flow difficulties and financial impact of losing valuable markets. According to a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) online update, more details of the scheme will be announced later this month. Over 11,500 farmers in Northern Ireland have already benefited from £23.5m made available by DAERA as a contribution to offset the losses incurred by the pandemic. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

USA - Fruit farmers assess capricious spring weather damage

After unusually warm weather in the early spring, much of Ohio and Pennsylvania, along with other states, were hit hard by a late snow and several nights near or below freezing in late April. Fruit farmers and orchard owners across the state are seeing the impact, but aren’t sure what the full extent of the damage will be yet. Since 1 or 2 degrees can sometimes be all it takes from total loss to having a crop, setting up fires and smudge pots around an orchard, along with other interventions, can help minimize crop loss during late freezes. But that only goes so far. Ken Metrick, of Metrick’s Harvest View Farm and Market, in Butler, Pennsylvania, said his apple trees are about two or three weeks earlier than usual. An ornamental crab apple tree in the Metrick’s yard is usually a popular spot for pictures for the local prom, which is usually the same weekend as Mother’s Day. But this year, it’s already past bloom. “That just goes to show you that the season is about two or three weeks ahead,” Metrick said. That early blossoming makes the trees vulnerable to the cold weather. “There’s a lot of money hanging on them trees,” Metrick said. “You only get one chance a year. You do the best you can to protect it.” Some of Metrick’s apple varieties took damage, but his farm is at a little bit of an advantage, since it’s high on a hill. The elevation makes a difference with the frost. Dry weather in March allowed Metrick to get into his fields to work more easily than in some recent, rainier years. He’s still expecting to have an apple crop, and anticipating a good year for the rest of his crops, based on the weather and other factors so far. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Europe - Climate change requires the breeding of new adapted varieties

The Region of Murcia's stone fruit campaign has already started with small volumes, quality fruit and higher Brix levels than those of the first batches of last year, when there were more abundant rains. Prospects are therefore good, given also the interest observed in the market. "Fruit buyers and supermarkets are calling every day to ask when we are going to start," says Thomas Chevaillier, technical-commercial director of PSB Producción Vegetal. Varietal development is an essential tool in the fruit sector, as it makes it possible to meet the growers' needs with cultivars adapted to their production areas and the schedules they wish to have, taking into account the difficulties they face, as well as the suitability of those products to the requirements of the various markets. This breeding, production and distribution company based in Pliego, Murcia, with experimental fields in Spain, France and Italy, has presented its new early stone fruit varieties adapted to the production areas of southern Europe. Borsalino, the earliest apricot on the market "The Borsalino variety is a revolution in the apricot segment, as it needs fewer hours of cold. It is a self-fertile variety, flowering about 15 days earlier than the earliest variety in Murcia (the Mikado), and is harvested between one week and 10 days earlier," says Thomas Chevaillier. "Thus, the Borsalino has become the earliest variety on the market." The breeding of low and medium chilling varieties is becoming increasingly important for the early stone fruit segment in those areas where the annual amount of cold hours is falling. "This applies especially to southern areas such as Murcia, Valencia, Seville, southern Portugal or Greece," says Thomas. "Greater care is needed in all these areas, which have few hours of cold, when choosing varieties with an April to June production schedule, because it is necessary to find varieties that are well adapted to these circumstances." The results obtained with the Borsalino in this first year after the variety's launch have been very positive, says Thomas. "This year we have started earlier with the commercial visits. One grower in a very early area of Murcia who planted the Borsalino has already finished harvesting. He started on April 12 and finished last week, with the entire production sold in the retail at very good prices," he says. "In contrast, only some small volumes of Mikado or Colorado apricots have been harvested since April 20, and those volumes won't start to increase until this week or the next." The list of early apricot varieties in the PSB program following the Borsalino in Murcia include the Mikado, Nestor and Domino, up until the Flopria, which as Thomas explains is the leading apricot in the Region. "All these varieties need a minimum of between 300 and 400 hours of cold and are self-fertile; a characteristic that Murcia producers are looking for, because it guarantees a good harvest every year," he says. "There are varieties such as the Colorado, which are very good varieties and highly appreciated by both producers and exporters, but which are not productive in some years." Diamentina and Copacabana, Brix and earliness in nectarines PSB has also expanded its range of early nectarines with a new generation of varieties with a higher Brix, with which it is managing to combine flavor and earliness: the white-fleshed nectarine Diamentina and the yellow-fleshed variety Copacabana. "In very early production areas, such as Campotéjar or Archena, they have just started with the Diamentina and will start with the Copacabana on April 30 or early May," says the company's technical director. Some producers in the Region have already started harvesting some volumes of other early and extra-early varieties, including the yellow-fleshed Flariba, or the white-fleshed Flavana, although the peak in the production will be reached around May 5-10. "Compared to last year, we have experienced quite a delay with the nectarines due to the not very high temperatures recorded in March, which delayed the flowering, and the rains in the last weeks of April. In our farm in Sierra Espuña, which is not the earliest in Murcia, we are experiencing delays of between 8 and 12 days with the early varieties. For example, this year we will start harvesting the Patagonia variety on April 30, while last year we started on April 20," he says. Astoria peaches are also picked on that date. Their harvest kicked off in the earliest areas of the coast on April 10-15, with small volumes intended for retail sale. Zodiac and Luisella, new additions to the early flat stone fruit segment The company has also developed two flat varieties that will complement its early range. Next week will see the start of the harvest of the new addition to the flat peach segment: the Zodiac, an early white-fleshed flat peach that is generating great optimism. "The Zodiac has a very good pistil closure and offers good productivity. It will be the first variety with which it will be possible to obtain large enough volumes to supply supermarkets, with fruit on average of sizes A and B," says Thomas. Regarding flat nectarines, after 10 years of work and study of their performance in different production areas such as Murcia, Lleida or France, this year the breeding company is launching the Luisella, an early platerine which, according to Thomas Chevaillier, will be the first flat nectarine to reach the market. "This year, the harvest is expected to start around May 15." Obtaining this variety has been a very important step, as older flat nectarine varieties have been affected by many problems caused by poor pistil closure, so the market has hardly had any platerines available so far, says Thomas. "Flat nectarines are difficult to handle and sensitive to frost, cracking and thrips and lenticella problems, so we have redoubled our efforts in the selection process," he says. "Our motto is to always be at the service of the grower." Guided tours The Murcian company is going to start offering guided tours both in commercial fields and in its experimental farm to showcase its new varieties to anyone interested. These visits will be carried out complying with all the necessary safety measures. "We are really looking forward to welcoming people," says Thomas. "We encourage all interested parties not to hesitate and to contact us, as well as to consult us before making their planting plans." Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Italy - Good stone fruit production expected in the south if the weather trend stabilises

"Despite the continuous climatic changes and the last adverse weather events, with frost and heavy rains, fortunately the damages recorded on stone fruits are minimal. Currently we are in the phenological phase of fruit enlargement for the early cultivars. In fact, the thinning operations are in progress, while for the medium-late cultivars, we are in the phase where the petals of the fertilized flowers are detached. Compared to last year, we expect 30-40% more product. With regard to citrus fruits, we are in the flowering phase and, also in this case, the damages caused by the bad weather are not huge," said Giacomo Russo, sales director of the Producers' Organization Ortocal of Corigliano Calabro, in the Italian province of Cosenza. "Most of our cooperative's stone fruit plantations are located in the hills, which has allowed us to limit the damage caused by frost. According to the first estimates made on the trees where thinning has already taken place, except for the very early varieties where there is a little more damage, we expect to have a good production. Hoping that the weather improves, we believe that we will be able to start harvesting the first fruit from 10 May onwards." The Op Ortocal cooperative was founded in 2012 to operate in the citrus fruit sector. The affiliated growers' plots, as well as the management, processing and packaging plant are located in the plain of Sibari, in the region of Calabria, one of the best citrus-producing areas in Italy, both in quality and volumes, in particular of early and late clementines. In 2019, two important entities joined the cooperative, the Gradilone Pasquale company and the Agrifruit cooperative. The former, located in the province of Cosenza, an area particularly suited to fruit trees of early varieties, further increases the already high citrus production and processing capacity of the Op Ortocal cooperative, while Agrifruit, located in the Sibari plain and also owner of a processing plant, specializes not only in citrus, but also in stone fruit management, processing and packaging. In addition to citrus and stone fruit, the Ortocal growers' organization is investing in the production of Coscia variety pears, asparagus, new varieties of citrus and stone fruit, and for the future aims to grow kiwis. The cooperative has more than 40 growers and has 3 processing plants with a production capacity of more than 20 tons per hour. In terms of cultivated area, they are distinguished as follows: 350 hectares of citrus (clementine, orange and lemon), of early, medium and late varieties; 128 hectares of stone fruit (nectarine, peach, Percoca peach and apricot), of early, medium and late varieties. "The ripening phase of peaches, nectarines and Percoca variety peaches starts the first ten days of May and harvesting continues until the end of September. The most commonly used form of cultivation is the Y-shape. The plantations are dense, with frames ranging from 4.5 m x 2.0 m to 3.5 m x 1.0 m and with a number of trees per hectare ranging from 1,100 to 3,000 plants. Potential production ranges from 25 to 60 tons per hectare," continued Russo. As for apricots, the ripening phase starts the first ten days of June and harvesting continues until the end of July. They are grown in a Y-shape or vase shape, with planting frames ranging from 5.0 m x 3.0 m to 4.5 m x 2.0 m, with a plant density per hectare varying from 660 to 1,100 and a potential production ranging from 20 to 35 tons per hectare. "The cooperative's current potential production is 1,000 tons for peaches, 1,200 tons for nectarines, 100 tons for apricots, 100 tons for Percoca peaches and 150 tons for Coscia pears (in the photo on the right, provided by Op Ortocal, you can see the current state of the pear trees). The main market is the retail sector, both Italian and foreign. The quantities marketed are expected to be much higher than last year, when, due to fruit set problems, quantities were at least 30% below the production potential," commented Russo. Giacomo Russo believes that without a consistent and lasting quantitative and qualitative aggregation of products and producers, any intervention program in the sector is likely to be ineffective. "It is necessary to involve in decision-making those actors who have remained so far on the sidelines. The fruit producing sector and large-scale distribution must engage in more dialogue, on equal terms, in order to better face the market. Only a process of integration between competing economic actors, and not enemies, will allow many small producers to be present in the market". Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Spain - Hailstorm damage in Murcia estimated at €3 million

A heavy hailstorm battered many areas of the Region of Murcia on Tuesday afternoon. The weather event is reported to have caused extensive damage to fruit orchards in the area; according to the UPA farmers’ union, agricultural losses are potentially amounting to millions of euros. The fruit affected includes apricots, peaches, nectarines, almonds, pears and grapes as well as leaf vegetables. Heavy crop and tree damage is reported in parts of the municipalities of Mula, Pliego, Archena, Molina, Fortuna, Campos del Río, Albudeite, Cieza, Jumilla and Totana. Crop growers in the Campo de Cartagena and other parts of the Guadalentín valley were spared the violent hailstorm. The crop losses are all the more unfortunate as the sales value of the crops could have been quite high due to a scarcity of produce being forecast this year. Yields are forecast to be very low in other parts of Spain as well as in France and Italy as a result of various meteorological setbacks. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

South Africa - Langkloof growers describe January storm damage

In January of this year, one of the biggest nightmares for any fruit farmer became a horrible reality in the Langkloof. Hail. Some farmers were fortunate, some less so and some got wrecked by the falling ice. Ricardo du Preez from Langfontein near Misgund in the Langkloof lost 95% of his crop. Wrecked, that is. The question is, how does one recover from a disaster of that magnitude? Three minutes. After a whole season of day-by-day dedication, nursing, pruning, helping those trees, the blossoms and budding fruit, it only took three minutes. All gone. Actually, losing 95% of your crop effectively means losing it all. In reality, a total wipe-out, because trying to rescue the 5% of your undamaged fruit is just too impractical and not cost effective. They will all go for cider or fruit juice. A meagre consolation compared to what your remuneration should have been on the export market. And yes, there is the umbrella of insurance, but between the juice and the pay-out, you are still not where that bumper crop would’ve got you. The Langkloof is a unique and somewhat enigmatic pome and stone fruit production area. However, producing 20% of all apples in South Africa, it is crucial for the industry. And it is enigmatic because, at present the Langkloof, basically in its entirety, has been in a scorching drought for seven years. Still it produces. Yet, when the water came in January, it came in the form of ice. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Norway - A new virus threatens tomatoes

Tomato growers in several countries have in recent years had problems with this new tomato virus, which was first found in Israel in 2014. "The virus is called Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)", says virologist Dag-Ragnar Blystad in NIBIO. The virus has now spread to both the United States and several European countries. It is very stable and contagious, and once it has entered a tomato garden it is difficult to get rid of. The virus causes damage to the tomato fruits, it can kill entire plants and can consequently cause large loss of income for tomato nurseries. A monitoring program Researchers at NIBIO have assessed that the probability of an outbreak is very high. Therefore, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has granted a monitoring and mapping program for tomato brown spot virus in Norway in 2021. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will take samples of tomato plants, and researchers at NIBIO will analyse them. From January to March, at least 250 samples were to be collected from the production of small plants in the tomato production. In August, 150 samples will be collected from greenhouses where tomatoes are produced. Resistance to other viruses no guarantee of immunity The Tobamoviruses only attack plants, but some of them are so common that they are found in almost all smoking tobacco, for example. The most common tobamoviruses in tomato are tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). Today's tomato varieties are bred to be resistant to these two viruses. Therefore, we have not seen attacks of these in Norwegian tomato greenhouses since the early 1980s. The new virus, on the other hand, is not stopped by the resistance to TMV and ToMV. Possible damage Norwegian tomato production is a growing industry. In 2020, more than 12,000 tonnes of tomatoes were worth more than NOK 400 million, according to the Green Producers' Cooperation Council. Calculations from NIBIO also show that it is more environmentally friendly to produce the tomatoes in Norway than to produce them further south in Europe and transport them here. The new virus therefore represents a great potential for damage. "If there is an outbreak in one or more Norwegian nurseries, the losses, and thus the compensation amounts, can amount to between 10 and 100 million, depending on the extent," Blystad says. Consequences for the tomato industry "Attacks of tomato brown spot virus in tomato production are very serious and can mean large financial losses for the gardener. After the attack, the tomatoes will most likely no longer be marketable. At the same time, asymptomatic plants are common. Therefore, all plants must be destroyed and the greenhouse plant decontaminated", says Emilie Sandell, specialist responsible for vegetables, fruit and berries in the Norwegian Gardeners' Association. Sandell says that strict hygiene and preventive measures are the only way to fight the virus. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com