Idaho-Malheur County Onion Growers Associations Annual Meeting set for Feb. 6

Featured Image: 2017 Hall of Fame recipient, Kenneth Nelson with wife, Norma and members of his family

The Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario, OR, will be the setting for 2018’s Idaho-Malheur County Onion Growers Associations’ Annual Meeting on Feb. 6, and according to the schedule provided by Stuart Reitz of OSU’s Malheur County Extension Offices, the day will include information on critical issues facing growers and shippers as well as Hall of Fame presentations, election of officers and updates on research.

“Jen Uranga [Mountain West Ag Consulting] will talk about the ag labor shortage and some things growers and shippers can do to help make sure they have the workers they need. This will include information on working with the H-2A visa program,” Reitz said. In addition, he said, “Paul Jepson from the Integrated Plant Protection Center at Oregon State University will talk about ways to prevent pesticide resistance from developing, which is especially important given the few effective pesticides we have for thrips and weeds like yellow nutsedge. If resistance develops to the pesticides that we currently have, that makes management that much more difficult and increases the risk of resistance developing to the remaining products because they will get used more.”

Reitz said he and Jepson will be conducting a more in-depth workshop for growers and crop advisors on pesticide resistance Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information on this workshop as well as the association meeting agenda, contact Reitz at 208-740-4381

The annual event will kick off after registration with an 8:15 welcome and door prizes, overseen by Dell Winegar of the Idaho-Oregon Growers Association. That will be followed by a research committee report from Brian Taylor and a report from Clint Shock, Eric Feibert and Alicia Rivera from the Malheur Experiment Station on how incomplete scale and heat enhance the infection of onion bulbs. Brenda Schroeder from the University of Idaho will discuss the impact of temperature on Fusarium proliferatum and the development of bulb rot in storage, and Mike Thornton from the University of Idaho Parma Research and Education Center will look at pink root biology and management.

Following Thornton, Joel Felix from the Malheur Experiment Station will look at Yellow Nutsedge control in onions, and a seed report from Deron Beck of Monsanto/Seminis will be provided after the morning break.

The morning sessions will go on to include James Woodhall from the University of Idaho Parma Research and Education Center on molecular diagnostics to investigate soil-borne diseases in onions, and Danielle Posch of Scott’s will give an update on Glyphosate-tolerant creeping bentgrass in Malheur County. Before the luncheon, Grant Kitamura, president of the Malheur County Development Corp., will update attendees on the Malheur County Transmodal Facility.

Elections and inductions into the Hall of Fame will take place during lunch, and a trade show will follow. Paul Skeen of the Malheur County Onion Growers Association will open the afternoon sessions with a welcome and door prizes.

Jen Uranga will kick off the afternoon with “Where are We in Dealing with the Agricultural Labor Shortage,” and Bryan Bair and Ashley Southerland of Bayer/Nunhems will give their seed report after the break. Jepson will talk about pesticide resistance management, and the final session of the day will feature Reitz looking at thrips and Iris yellow spot management in the Treasure Valley.

Association members are admitted to the annual event at no charge, but Association Management Group asks that both members and non-members call 201-888-0988 to register in advance. Contact there is Cindy Pusey.