A special research team is looking for insects and pests that could damage and destroy crops in the Holland Marsh this summer.
On a busy day in the Holland Marsh, farmers and workers pick in the fields. It's been a wet season and that just may be what the doctor ordered.
To help crops keep their looks and taste, a team from the nearby University of Guelph Muck Crops Research Station in Bradford is keeping an eye out for potential pests and diseases. They work with local farmers and arm them with important and up-to-date information on possible issues.
“We forecast them and we trap them so we can warn growers ahead of time if there's going to be a problem and then growers can take the appropriate action,” says Mary Ruth McDonald with the Muck research station.
McDonald leads the team and says they are looking for all kinds of pests.
“One of the reasons we started the program was because of onion downy mildew,” McDonald says. “And when that shows up anywhere in this region the growers have to go out and spray to protect their crops. It can kill an onion crop in 10 days if the weather is right.”
She says the program has been running for the past decade. And farmers say they are pleased to have the Muck research team nearby for help.
“They do testing and that and they'll put the information on a website and you can look up the website and they have suggestions on spraying and that kind of thing,” says farmer Jeff Dusome.
The team checks its traps twice a week all season long. Aside from carrots and onions the teams are keeping an eye out for artichokes and amaranth too.
