With planting looming, contracts for processing tomatoes in Ontario’s far southwest are stalled due to the ongoing tariff dispute between Canada and the United States.
Tag Archives tomatoes
Vegetable processing contracts delayed by tariffs
Tomato virus prompts race for resistance
Global tomato breeders are putting tremendous resources into breeding resistance to tomato brown rugose fruit virus
Tomato breeders are racing to breed resistance to the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus. It emerged first in Israel in 2014 and has since spread to Europe, North America and Asia. Why it matters: Closed systems like greenhouses can be hit hard by damaging viruses so growers are eager to have resistance in popular varieties. […] Read more
Anti-viral technologies can reduce pathogen transmission in the greenhouse
Pandemic battle to reduce COVID transmission gave researchers a unique opportunity to study anti-viral potential in tomatoes
Three new anti-viral technologies could help prevent the transmission of both COVID-19 and a plant virus that affects tomatoes in commercial greenhouses. That’s according to a recent Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) research project to refine and apply technologies used in other industries to greenhouses to test their effectiveness at inhibiting virus transmission. The project […] Read more
U.S. gives green light to purple tomatoes
Purple tomato varieties already exist, but antioxidant levels are low because the colour is only in the skin of the fruit
Glacier FarmMedia – There are a surprising number of purple foods. There are purple potatoes, eggplants, grapes, cabbages, carrots, saskatoons and blackberries, though the latter may be more black than purple. Next year, another food can be added to the list — purple tomatoes. In early September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said a […] Read more
Demand remains strong for processing tomatoes
Ontario’s contracted acres anticipated to be at least 450,000 tonnes
Ontario’s processing tomato crop is anticipated to reflect last year, if not slightly higher, barring significant production complications. According to the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG), there also continues to be high demand for processing tomatoes worldwide. Why it matters: Demand for tomato products remains high but global supplies are tight. Tom Keller, a Leamington-area […] Read more
Researchers collaborate to bring rugose resistant tomato varieties to Canada
The disease has been deemed a top priority for industry and government
The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is working on solutions to a devastating disease in tomatoes, the brown rugose fruit virus. It has undertaken a breeding program in collaboration with the Ontario agriculture department and Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. Why it matters: There are no varieties resistant to tomato brown rugose fruit virus and infection […] Read more
Plant mutation research aimed at predictability
Science Notes: More accurate breeding could result from more predictable mutations
Both people and tomatoes come in different shapes and sizes. That is because every individual has a unique set of genetic variations, mutations, that affect how genes act and function. Added together, millions of small genetic variations make it hard to predict how a particular mutation will impact any individual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) […] Read more
Demand surges for processing tomatoes
Ontario producers will need to grow more tomatoes to meet 2021 demand
As people were forced to cook at home, many reached for the tomato sauce. Demand for processed tomato products jumped globally in 2020, lowering product inventories and peaking interest from both growers and processors. Whether higher demands will outlast the pandemic remains uncertain. But in the meantime, Ontario’s processing tomato sector is gearing up for […] Read more
Editorial: Convoluted solution is no solution
Tomato growers and processors need a clear solution to the marketing purgatory into which they’ve been plunged over the past couple of years. However, the province’s recent proposals fail to provide the needed stability. I’ve written numerous similar pieces over the past couple of years as the province tries to break the collective bargaining power […] Read more
Trial aims to better detect late blight pathogen before it infects tomatoes
The three-year project will evaluate early detection, management approaches and potential benefits
A new three-year project is in place at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, to help detect late blight pathogen presence in the air before it infests tomatoes, allowing for better control management. There is currently no method to detect the presence of the phytophthora infestans, making it difficult for growers properly manage late blight, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
