Vegetable association conference returns to in-person

KENNEWICK — The Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association will stage its annual conference in person this year at the Three Rivers Convention Center.

However, while attendance will no longer be online and virtual, masks will be required attire at the two-day event, which begins on Wednesday, Nov. 17 and lasts through Thursday, Nov. 18.

Wednesday, the first day of the conference, is divided into two specific sessions, one for onions and one for “general vegetables,” while Thursday sees two sessions, with one focusing on pest management and the other on organic farming.

The conference schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 17, Onion Session:

• 8:30 a.m. – Chlorpyrifos Tolerance Revocation, What does this mean and where do we go from here?, Dr. Alan Schreiber, Ag Development Group

• 9 a.m. – Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos, Dr. Stuart Reitz, OSU-Malheur

• 9:30 a.m. – County Where were the Onion Thrips in 2021?, Dr. Tim Waters, WSU Franklin County

• 10:45 a.m. – Nitrogen Management in Onions, Tessa Belo, WSU

• 11:15 a.m. – Irrigation Management in Onions, Dr. Gabriel LaHue, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC

• 11:45 a.m. – Stop the Rot, Diagnostic and Survey Results, Dr. James Woodhall, University of Idaho

• 12:15 p.m. – Lunch.

• 1:30 p.m. – Food Safety Update in Onions, Dr. Joy Waite-Cusic, OSU

• 2 p.m. – Abiotic Problems of Onion, Dr. Bill Cobb, Cobb Consulting

• 3:15 p.m. – Onion Economics, IPM, Cost of Production and Break-Even Points, Dr. Gina Greenway, Greenway Consulting

• 3:45 p.m. – Stop the Rot: Top Results to Date, Dr. Lindsey du Toit, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC

Wednesday, Nov. 17, General Vegetable Session:

• 8:30 a.m. – Effect of soil compaction on water use efficiency by watermelon, Amin Nouri, OSU

• 9 a.m. – Alternative Nematicides for Managing Root Knot Nematodes in Carrots, Melons and Tomatoes, Jaspreet Sidhu, UCANR

• 9:30 a.m. – The State of the Pollinators, Katie Buckley, WSDA

• 10:30 a.m. – Cabbage Maggot in Brassica Crops, Kristine Buckland, OSU

• 11 a.m. – Landscape Biology of Beet Leafhopper and Associated Pathogens, Rodney Cooper, USDA

• 12:15 p.m. – Lunch.

• 1:30 p.m. – Practical Applications of Drones in Agriculture, Drew Leggett

• 2 p.m. – Croptime: Scheduling Harvests and Timing Weed Management, Nick Andrews, OSU

• 2:30 p.m. – Japanese Beetle Overview & Response, Cassie Cichorz, WSDA

• 3:15 p.m. – Managing for Soil and Water Quality under Drought Conditions, Abigail Tomasek, OSU

• 3:45 p.m. – Nitrogen Management of Organic and Conventional Cool Season Vegetables, Richard Smith, UCANR

• 4:15 p.m. – Irrigation Scheduling – Multiple Options to Improve Crop Water Use, Zamora Re Maria Isabel, OSU

Thursday, Nov. 18, Pest Management Session:

• 8 a.m. – Distinguishing Heat Stress from Pest and Disease Problems, Dr. Carrie Wohleb, WSU Extension – Grant/Adams counties

• 8:30 a.m. – Effects of temperature on Insect Development, Dr. Tim Waters, WSU Extension

• 9 a.m. – Effects of Temperature on Disease Development, Dr. Lindsey du Toit, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC

• 9:30 a.m. – Pesticide Toxicology, Dr. Allan Felsot, WSU

• 10:30 a.m. – Pesticides – Coming and Going, Dr. Alan Schreiber, Ag Development Group

• 11 a.m. – How Surroundings Affect Pesticide Decisions, Dr. Bill Cobb, Cobb Consulting

• 11:30 a.m. – New Technology in Pest Management, Dr. Max Feldman, USDA

• 12 p.m. – Pests and Diseases of Cucurbits, Dr. Hannah Rivedal, USDA

• 12:30 p.m. – Use of Models and Trapping in Pest Management, Dr. James Woodhall, University of Idaho

• 1 p.m. – Conference adjourns.

Thursday, Nov. 18, Organic Session:

• 8 a.m. – Introduction, Scott Ockey

• 8:05 a.m. – Cover Crops and Nitrogen Management, Nick Andrews, OSU

• 8:35 a.m. – Cover Crop Research in Irrigated Columbia Basin Organic Systems and the Western Cover Crop Council, Doug Collins, WSU

• 9:05 a.m. – New Data and Research Updates, Dr. Alan Schreiber, Ag Development Group

• 9:35 a.m. – Changing Temperatures and Precipitation Patterns Affect on Soil Microbial Communities, Dr. Shikha Singh, OSU HAREC

• 10:30 a.m. – Industry updates with Richard Kelly (Certis Biologicals), Amelia Jordan (Marrone Bio), Peter Bierma – (Sym Agro), Shaun Lough (Westbridge Ag Products), Stephen Pryor (AgBiome) and Cassidy Million (Monty’s Plant Food Co.)

• 12:30 p.m. Conference adjourns.

For more information on the conference, contact the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association at 509-585-5460 or snolan@agmgt.com.