All the latest news from Teagasc

HORTICULTURE WEBINARS

Throughout the period of Covid-19 restrictions, the Teagasc Horticultural Development Department has supported the development of horticulture sectors by developing and hosting a series of technical webinars. These webinars feature keynote speakers, panel discussion, live polling and Q&A sessions from the audience. Many of the webinars incorporate the themes of the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables, focusing on sharing and developing knowledge on quality improvement, productivity and sustainability in fruit and vegetable production. Vegetable webinar topics have included carrot fly, clubroot and weed control in vegetable crops and sustainable soil health, while fruit topics have included latest advances in light supplementation, integrated pest management and protective cropping structures. Webinars on nursery stock production have focused on pest, disease and weed control amongst other topics. To register for upcoming webinars or to access previously recorded webinars on the Teagasc website, scan the QR code above. ✽

WOOD FIBRE IN GROWING MEDIA WEBINAR

Teagasc recently hosted a webinar exploring wood fibre use in growing media. Dr Brian Jackson, Associate Professor and Director of the Horticultural Substrates Laboratory at North Carolina State University is an expert in the area. He is familiar with our sector, having visited Irish and European growing media facilities on a number of occasions. Dr Jackson discussed the different wood fibre processing systems and the characteristics of the fibre produced. Conifers produce more useful wood fibre than broadleaf trees as there is better chemistry and stability. The species of conifer is of less importance than the processing method. To meet domestic consumer expectations some media producers are dying their wood fibre from blonde to black. Issues of uniformity, shrinkage, slumping and water retention are well established and Dr Jackson highlighted
some of the methods used to overcome these challenges. Wood fibre in Ireland is produced from small roundwood and wood residue. Combined with post consumer recovered wood (PCRW) and tree tips from harvesting, these are also used for wood energy. COFORD has estimated the output of wood fibre available for production in2021 to be 2.2 million m3, rising to 3.9 million m3 by 2031. The webinar is available to watch on the Teagasc YouTube channel. Dr Brian Jackson discussed the fundamentals of wood fibre production and its use in growing media. ✽

TEAGASC IMPROVE APHID MONITORING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HORTICULTURAL AND TILLAGE PESTS

In June 2021, Teagasc will complete the construction of a 12.2m high insect suction tower at Ashtown Research Centre in North Dublin. Similar towers have already demonstrated useful early detection or changes to populations of Willow Carrot Aphid and Peach Potato Aphid aphids specific, to horticultural crops. This tower will be the third of three 12.2m permanent towers, the others are already constructed and operational in Carlow and Cork. This suction tower network is based on a design from Rothamsted Research Aphid Monitoring Network, which is the longest running insect experiment in the world. These towers will allow us to build a better understanding on the impact of climatic conditions on aphid movement and the epidemiology of viruses associated with aphid vectors. Work from Rothamsted in the 1970s indicated that the aphid catch in each suction tower is reflective of the aphid catches from approximately 80 km diameter around the tower. Therefore, the network will allow us to make observations, which cover much of the East, South-East and South of Ireland, covering much of the horticultural activity in Ireland. In addition, several mobile towers have been purchased and can be extended between 2m to 6m in height. These will be used to monitor on-farm locations as need arises. This infrastructure will help to build our understanding of aphid ecology in Ireland and ultimately will allow the development of better knowledge transfer to the horticultural sector in Ireland. For more information, please contact Michael.Gaffney@Teagasc.ie. ✽

SUPPORTING DECISION MAKING ON AGRICULTURAL INPUT REDUCTION

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation has declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables. The aim is to raise awareness and share good practices on the contribution of fruit and vegetables to healthy diets and sustainable lifestyles, while also drawing attention to the importance of reducing loss and waste of fruit and vegetables.

In support of the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables (IYFV), we have developed an infographic to depict the interconnections between human health and the food we consume, specifically in this case, horticulture fresh produce. We are changing the frame of reference in terms of why horticulture production is important and why we might need to consider re-orienting the arguments for building more resilience into Irish production and consumption patterns of fresh produce.

A re-imagining of our food system and a re-valuing of horticulture fresh produce in terms of the role that it plays in human health will hopefully lead to a viable and sustainable Irish horticulture sector which promotes consumer health. ✽

NEW STRAWBERRY VARIETY TRIAL SHOWS PROMISING SIGNS

A new strawberry variety trial has been developed by Teagasc. It has begun on several soft fruit farms across Ireland this year and is beginning to show interesting results. The trial is being run in association with the Italian soft fruit plant propagators Mazzoni and Salvi-Vivai (also known as CIV).

One of the most promising varieties is CIV 725 (see image). The variety has a large yield, excellent flavour and the fruits look fantastic. They have an elongated shape with a lovely glossy colour. Other varieties being tested include ‘Joly’, ‘Sibilla’, ‘Lycia’ and ‘Annely’. ‘Annely’ is the earliest of the varieties. It has been observed that ‘Annely’ is struggling to yield and the fruit is prone to splitting. The other varieties ‘Joly’, ‘Lycia’, and ‘Sibilla’ all show good yield potential. The fruit shape and quality is also excellent. So far, ‘CIV 725 and ‘Lycia’ are performing best in terms of yield potential and quality. Further assessment on all the varieties being trialled through tasting and shelf-life tests will be completed this summer to assess if the varieties have a place in the market. Larger scale testing of successful varieties plus new introductions will continue in 2022. ✽

SPENT MUSHROOM SUBSTRATE

Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) (or spent mushroom compost) is a useful source of organic matter, which can supplement garden compost. Mushroom substrate is composed of chopped wheat straw, poultry manure, horse manure and gypsum, which are mixed and composted under controlled conditions, and then used as a growth substrate for mushroom production. SMS is an excellent soil conditioner, a source of organic matter and a valuable source of major and minor nutrients (see table above):

SMS contains around 8.0 kg N/tonne on average, with the majority of N in an organic form, which is slowly released over time. SMS also contains essential micronutrients such as Sulphur, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper and Boron. The fibre from the straw improves soil structure, which can improve soil fertility. There is significant environmental pressure to reduce the use of peat in gardening and it can be difficult to find another source of organic matter, however, SMS is readily available as an excellent replacement.

If you are interested in accessing spent mushroom substrate, contact your nearest mushroom grower or mushroom producer organisation (Commercial Mushroom Producers (CMP), Northway or Farm Fresh Produce). Spent mushroom compost has valuable levels of nutrients and organic matter. ✽