This year’s Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Conference is right around the calendar corner, set for Nov. 14 and 15 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, WA.
The full agenda plus registration info is available at PNVA’s convention page, https://pnva.org/pnva-conference/, with hotel information provide.
Leading into the two-day conference is the W-3008 Multistate Research Project: Integrated Onion Pest and Disease Management Annual Meeting, which will be held Nov. 13 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is separate from the PNVA Convention W-3008 Multistate Research Project: Integrated Onion Pest, with registration also done at https://pnva.org/pnva-conference/.
W-3008 multi-state project is made up of scientists and allied industry members from coast to coast who meet each year to discuss issues affecting onion production in this country. The group lists its objects as evaluating onion germplasm for resistance; investigating biology, ecology and management of onion thrips and other pests; investigating biology, epidemiology and management of onion plant pathogens; facilitating discussion among participants and industry stakeholders to advance pest and disease management in onions. Participants include both public and private researchers as well as extension pros, onion growers, consultants and seed industry folks, all of whom “have formed productive collaborations and are leaders in onion production, storage, breeding, horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, virology and microbiology.”
There will also be a pre-convention Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Three Rivers. The one-day class fulfills FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement that states “At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully comp0leted food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.” The training will provide a foundation for GAP and other FSMA requirements as well as how to develop a farm food safety plan. Register online at https://impactwashington.org/events, and for more info contact Craig Doan at cdoan@impactwashington.com.
As for PNVA itself, the agenda is chockfull of great sessions, networking and the trade show.
Here’s a quick look at Nov. 14’s Onion Day schedule:
8:30 a.m.: Soil Moisture Monitoring Devices and Data Interpretation
9 a.m.: Irrigation Management for Drip and Furrow Irrigation Onions with Jim Klauser of Clearwater Supply
9:30 a.m.: Irrigation Management for Center Pivot Irrigated Onions
10 a.m.: Break and Trade Show
10:45 a.m.: The Importance of Proper Diagnosis of Bacterial and Fungal Onion Pathogens with James Woodall, U of I
11:15 a.m.: Management of Fusarium Basal Rot of Onion with Lindsey du Toit, WSU Mt. Vernon NWREC
11:45 a.m.: Regionally Appropriate Fungicide Programs for Common Pathogens with Lindsey du Toit
12:15 p.m.: Lunch
1:30 p.m.: Onion SCRI Project Update with Hanu Pappu, WSU
2 p.m.: Thrips Management of Onions with Stuart Reitz, OSU
2:30 p.m.: Break and Trade Show
3:15 p.m.: Nematode Sampling and Control in Onions with Russ Ingham, OSU
3:45 p.m.: Bacterial Pathogens of Onions and How to Mitigate Disasters with Bhabesh Dutta, O of G
4:15 p.m.: Columbia Basin Onion Research Committee Update on Current and Future Research Projects.
Nov. 14 will also feature sessions for General Veg on Disease Management, Drip Irrigation, Early Season Diseases and Pests, Fungal Diseases, Grafting, Organic Ag and much more.
Day Two kicks off at 8 a.m. with Art and Science of Collecting Residue Samples with Dr. Bill Cobb of Cobb Consulting. Other sessions during the day include Legume Diseases, Impact of Fungicides on Plant Health, New Insect Threats and Pesticide Updates. Organizers have also scheduled an entire session from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Organics, with topics ranging from product update to bee certification. There will be a look at large-scale organic production in the Northwest and a comparison of organic and conventional systems from a microbial standpoint.
Featured Image: 2017 Conference Image by OnionBusiness.com, Conference Coordinator, Sheri Nolan (middle) with assistant, and attendee, Casey Crookham with Gowan Seed Co.
