January News
Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP)
Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) season is upon us! Over the next few months, Tomatoes NZ is working with A Lighter Touch to trial different BIO controls in greenhouses growing tomatoes that target TPP. If you spot Psyllid and would be willing to NOT use chemical sprays, you could be part of this trial. Please contact me at your earliest convenience on 021922414. We are aware that chemical controls are becoming less effective on all pests, so it is important for the industry as a whole to have different tools available that have been proven to work. The results of this project will be shared with all growers, with the trial sites remaining anonymous.
Exotic Pest Factsheets
Fact sheets for some of the known threats to tomato plants are updated every 2 years and the latest versions are available for download here
As with all pests that you might be unsure about, it’s a good idea to bag an example (a clean zip lock bag is ideal)and phone MPI on 0800 80 99 66or look it up on Find A Pest app available for download here,
You can put your sample in the freezer if there’s a delay in sending it in for identification.
Fall Army Worm (FAW)
While this caterpillar has many sources of food available at this time of year, it is worth updating your knowledge on FAW now as we suspect that there were cases of FAW overwintering in greenhouses and decimating tomato crops in 2023. Another pest to be looking out for when you do your scouting rounds in the greenhouse. In addition to the FAW fact sheet on the website, there is also up to date information on life cycles and photos available here
Industrial Allocation
If you are signed up to Industrial Allocation but have not yet submitted the required data on production totals, energy consumption and revenue you might have received an email from the Ministry for the Environment requesting that you make your submission. The final date for submitting, whether you have been requested to or not, is 2nd February. This is an extension on 15th December deadline that has already passed. Information submitted after 2nd February will not be considered. If you have any questions regarding the information you need to gather or on how to complete the forms, please get in touch with me. I have a template example which I can send to you if that would be helpful.
Wastage
If you find that you’ve got an oversupply of tag 2 or 3 tomatoes that you’re looking to shift there are a couple of companies looking to turn your waste into other products. Rescue Kitchen will buy tomatoes directly from growers and turn them into other products which they then sell. Contact Diane on 021 747 885 or diane@rescued.co.nz for more information.
Kava Pure Extracts are a company looking to trial extraction from tomato seed and skin for health benefits. While they are only looking for tomato skin and seed, they are willing to take whole tomatoes off your hands. For more information contact Ben on 021 125 4162 or ben@kavapurextractions.com
Dates for your diary
- Greenhouse growers are invited to attend a grower workshop with Marc Groenewegen, Dutch tomato specialist who will be visiting New Zealand in late March. This will be a breakfast event from 7.30am Thursday 28th March. RSVP here
- Tomato Growers are invited to attend a workshop hosted by Vegetables NZ, with support from Vegetable Research & Innovation (VR&I). These are in the form of roadshow events to highlight the research that is occurring in the vegetable industry. These events will cover updates from multiple product groups based on the region they are being held. These workshops will also cover the Sustainable Vegetable Systems project and the Nitrogen optimization tool under development. Crop focuses will include Fresh Vegetables, Process Vegetables, Onions, Potatoes, Buttercup Squash & Tomatoes. Topics will include specific project updates, A lighter Touch projects, integrated pest management, resistance management, etc. This is a chance for growers to hear latest research results, industry updates, and provide feedback to help direct future research work.
You are welcome to attend any of the workshops but the ones with a particular interest to tomato growers will be Nelson, Tuesday 19th March and Pukekohe 10th April
Google form registration can be found by following this link
Or by following this QR Code
Finally, my email address is changing in the coming months – please change your Tomatoes contacts to the following which are already in use:
General queries: info@tomatoesnz.co.nz
Direct email: Dinah.cohen@tomatoesnz.co.nz