Tomato Topics March 2016 (PDF File - 1.2 MB)
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Tomato Topics March 2016 (PDF File - 1.2 MB)
TOMATO TOPICS PAGE 1 NEWS and INFORMATION FOR THE PROCESSING TOMATO INDUSTRY ISSN 1038-3522 MARCH 2016 VOL. 26 NO. 1 2015/16 Season Update The 2015/16 season is almost completed with harvest expected to be finished by the 20 April. Final tonnage figures are not currently available but are expected to be in the vicinity of 283,000 to 287,000 tonnes. According to the BOM website 2015/16 was Victoria’s third warmest summer on record with both daytime and night time temperatures well above average. Rainfall during the season was average to below average across the production region. The hottest day for the state was record as 45.6 °C at Echuca Aerodrome on 13 Jan 2016. Echuca and Kerang both also had their highest summer mean daily minimum temperature since 1980. Irrigation allocations finished the season on 90% for the Goulburn system, with temporary water prices ranging from $200 to $300/ML during the season. At this stage the forecast for next season is looking rather grim, with very low inflows into Lake Eildon for the past 18 months. MARCH 2016 Inside This Issue Page Soil Testing in Permanent Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation Good inflows needed for next season Interesting Snippet from 12th World Processing Tomato Congress Upcoming Events New R&D base in Portugal by Kagome TM12012- Sustainability Project Kilter Rural Seasonal Update Weeds Potassium Trial Update Interesting Snippet from 12th World Processing Tomato Congress Canada: Ontario company launches made-forfarming drone technology Potential Uses for Tomato Waste Human Health, Wellbeing and Tomatoes 2 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS PAGE 2 Soil Testing in Permanent Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation Soil testing can sometimes result in rather variable results, with some growers asking why? Some work has recently been conducted in both California and Australia looking at the variability of some nutrients in permanent sub-surface drip irrigated. nounced change of the three cations studied. These levels were actual double towards the shoulder of the bed. The Ca:Mg ratio decreased with the distance away from the emitter, showing that the increases in exchangeable magnesium away from the emitter were greater than that of calcium. In our soil types it appears that the majority of the plant roots are located above the drip irrigation system. As a result the sampling depth should be based on the depth of your drip tape; encompassing the primary root zone for the crop. At the same time the top 5-10 cm of the soil is generally dry, and contains little or no root growth. As a result your sampling depth could be between 10-25 cm from the soil surface. The actual depth you chose could be farm specific, but should be kept consistent across sampling points. Burger et al recently developed a sampling protocol to estimate pre-plant nitrate availability in California. This work focused on nitrate, potassium and phosphorus. This work showed that phosphorus levels were more variable across the bed than nitrate or potassium. To overcome this variability Burger suggested samples should be taken at 3 different distances from the drip line. For 1.52cm beds he suggested samples should be collected at the following distances from the drip line and then combined together: 12-13cm 25-26cm 50-51cm or 63-64cm There is a tendency for some nutrients to move away from the emitters on the drip tape. This does result in some variation of soil chemical properties in a horizontal direction. As a result samples collected at different locations on the bed could contain different levels of some nutrients. To overcome this variation soil could be collected from multiple points across the bed in each location. Mixing these samples will give a good average of the soil properties. Work conducted by Miing Yong during the 2014/15 season in Australia showed that some cations did increase in concentration away from the emitter. Increases in exchangeable sodium content away from the emitter was the most pro- For 2m beds Burger et al suggested sampling at 2 points at the following distances: 38-39cm or 51-52cm 76-77cm or 63-64cm Once the soil is collected in the field you need to determine which laboratory to send the soil. Depending upon the lab you are likely to get different results for the individual nutrients. This may be due to the fact that different labs do use different testing methods. For example: Table 1. This table has been compiled based on information available on websites, soil tests and from direct emails With different testing methods the cost also greatly varies. A report by Rayment (2004) on Australian Soil Testing stated that it is often better to analyse more samples by simple or cheap methods, rather than fewer samples by more sophisticated and generally costly methods. An example of a simple and cheap method is the Mehlich 3 test which is a universal test that has been widely used in North America. This test has also been trialled in Western Australia, supported by in-field research (Bolland et al. 2003) and also cross correlated with “traditional ” soil tests in eastern Australia. Although Rayment (2004) notes that the Mehlich test is still far from perfect, it is quick and relatively cheap, and some interpretative adjustments will need to be made, but indications are that the Mehlich 3 test is likely to be more repeatable within and across labs than some of the more “traditional” tests. Walton and Alle (2004) also found that the Mehlich 3 test is suitable for evaluating the nutrient status of Western Australian soils, providing they are acidic to neutral and have not have rock phosphate applied. MARCH 2016 VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS PAGE 3 In summary: Properties Recommendation Phosphorus Australia commonly uses Olsen or Colwell as indicator of extractable phosphorus Colwell seems to be too aggressive and includes phosphorus in it’s unavailable form. Olsen is only accurate if the soil is neutral and alkaline. Bray underestimates plant available phosphorus of calcareous soil as the acidic reagent will react with alkaline Mehlich 3 overestimate plant available phosphorus of calcareous soil by breaking down immobile Calcium-phosphorus compound. Phosphorus buffering index and total phosphorus are needed to make sensible fertiliser decisions. Nitrogen Combustion method is the best method for TNS, but it is expensive. Extraction with salt solution method is better in measuring available nitrogen in soil (7 C group) Exchangeable cations Ammonium acetate is a good method for acidic and neutral soil due to extensive database from this method. The Ammonium acetate method requires prewash treatment if the soil is high in salt content (EC> 0.3dS/m) Ammonium Chloride (Tucker method) is recommended for alkaline soil, and does not require prewash treatment if the soil is high in salt content (EC> 0.3dS/m) The Mehlich 3 extractable cations showed very good correlations with ammonium acetate extractable cations Table 2. Descriptions of phosphorus measurement methods (Allen & Jeffrey, 1990 and Alle, 2004) NB: The USA developed Mehlich 3 extract is used for exchangeable cations (Na, K, Mg, Ca & Al) and it is noted that in some Australian soils this extract will give over 100 meq/100g of CEC. This extract generally gives upto 50% higher exchangeable cations in alkaline soils than the Australian exchangeable cation techniques. (http://scu.edu.au/eal/download.php? doc_id=4553&site_id=214) Individual growers need to determine for themselves which laboratory they chose to send samples to, although high prices of soil tests do often limit the number of tests that may be done . This will typically result in samples being taken across larger areas and combined, rather than soil testing smaller areas of the paddock based on differences in production zones or actual GPS points. Once a grower choses their laboratory it is recommended that the same laboratory is used for a number of years to enable comparisons to made from year to year. References Allen, D. G. & Jeffery, R. C. 1990. methods for analysis of phosphorus in Western Australian Soils. In: Laboratory, A. C. (ed.) report on investigation. http://www.chemcentre.wa.gov.au/Files/pdf/publication-pdf/Method-for-Analysis-of-Phosphorus-inWA-Soils.aspx: Chemistry Centre (WA). Bolland, M.D.A., Allen, D.G. and Walton, K.S. (2003). Soil testing for phosphorus: comparing the Mehlich 3 and Colwell procedures for soils of south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 1185-1200. Burger, M, et al (2014). Developing a sampling protocol to estimate pre‐plant nitrate availability in subsurface drip irrigated tomato systems, CTRI Annual Report 2014 Rayment, G.R. (2004). Australian Soil Testing: quality assurance in measurement, interpretation and recommendation, Australian Fertilizer Industry Conference, August 2004 Walton, K & Alle, D (2004) Mehlich No. 3 Soil Test - The Western Australian Experience 3rd Australian New Zealand Soils Conference, 5 – 9 December 2004, University of Sydney, Australia. Published on CDROM. Website www.regional.org.au/au/asssi/ Yong, Miing Tiem; (2015), Soil structure assessment under Subsurface Drip Irrigation; and comparison of wet sieving method and dynamic laser diffraction method of aggregate stability, Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours), School of Land and Food MARCH 2016 VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS Good inflows needed for next season David Barthold of Ruralco Water Brokers Several factors have combined over the past month to increase water demand and thus result in a further firming of the water market. These factors are: a continued strong demand for temporary allocation water across the whole Southern Connected Basin for pre-watering of cereal crops/pastures, topping up of overdrawn accounts from summer overuse, and for carryover; only minor increases in market supply with the NSW allocations seeing no further increase in both the Murrumbidgee and NSW Murray valleys. The announcement on 15 April saw the Murrumbidgee general security remaining at 37% and NSW Murray remaining at 23%. In Victoria, Goulburn High Reliability Water Shares, will end the season on 90%, and Murray High Reliability at full allocation. continued hot and dry weather. Historically, autumn is the period of the year where prices will usually be declining, or close to it. This can be highlighted below in the tail end of the 2013-14 season. Obviously prices in a specific year will depend on supply and demand rather than always following a historical pattern, this was the case this time last season (2014-15), as irrigators scrambled for carryover and water for cereal crops and pastures. Current pricing is a good example of this where demand has increased while supply has not increased to the same degree and hence prices have increased over the past month. Cooler weather on the horizon and the prospect of additional water being released on to the market by High Reliability/ Security (and other) holders mean we may be near the peak of temp prices for the remainder of this water year. A seasonal break with widespread rain may be the best way to ensure a drop in the price of temp water. In the meantime it’s certainly a good opportunity for sellers to obtain good prices for their temp water. It probably comes as no surprise, however the outlook for early favourable allocation announcements early in the 16/17 irrigation year appear to be unlikely outside of a rapid return MARCH 2016 PAGE 4 to ‘average inflows’ given the current below average storage inflows and a slowly declining El Niño. Water availability forecasts for the forthcoming 2016/17 season (starting 1 July 2016) have been made. 2016/17 NSW Allocation forecasts under ‘extreme dry’ to ‘average’ inflows 1 July 1 Sept 1 Nov NSW Murray HS Most assured 1 July, with balance accruing shortly after NSW Murray GS 0% 0-24% 0-42% 2016/17 VIC Allocation forecasts under ‘extreme dry’ to ‘average’ inflows 1 July 15 Aug 17 Oct 15 Feb VIC Murray HR 0-0% 0-31% 0-56% 6-100% VIC Goulburn HR 0-17% 4-42% 12-82% 20-100% In the NSW Murray, the initial outlook for High Security next season on 1 July is largely favourable with full allocation likely (97%) but this may be delayed until inflows improve. While the initial outlook for General Security is currently unfavourable, with the likelihood of 0% high. In Victoria, the initial outlook for High Reliability next season on 1 July for Goulburn and Murray is minimal and may open on as little as 0%. Any improvement from 1 July in all valleys is heavily dependent on future inflows. Carryover volumes are likely to be consistent with that of last season in both NSW and Victoria which, similar to earlier this season, may elevate some upward pressure on prices. Note that rainfall in April, May and June could allow increases to these estimated allocations. From a risk management point of view, the sorts of tools buyers are using to guarantee at least some water for the 16/17 year include Forward Water Agreements and buying for Carryover. Those looking to carryover can do so in either physical storages, carryover accounts on their own licenses or by renting carryover space on other licenses. Information on the current water market and advice on water security strategies is readily obtainable by contacting a water broker. Interesting Snippet from 12th World Processing Tomato Congress Jim Beecher presented the California/USA Processed Tomato Report. During this he mentioned the following statistics: California has 318 growers. Average size grower is 931 acres. Average size is 45,000 tons Tomatoes are grown in 13 counties. 13 processing companies, 20 factories Average yield 109.1 tonnes/ha Total inflows to Delta = 18,714,700 acre feet Total outflow to ocean = 12,396,900 acre feet, or 66.2% of the total inflows. Total expenses to produce tomatoes = $8,283 US/ha Total income (109 t/ha @ $72.50/t) = $8,725 US/ha Net income = $441 US/ha VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS PAGE 5 UPCOMING EVENTS PMA Fresh Connections 17 – 19 May 2016, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. PMA Fresh Connections aim is to inform and deliver industry solutions that increase sales of fresh and safe produce; as well as attract, develop and retain talents for the regional and global industry. http://www.pmafreshconnections.com.au/ Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition Melbourne Exhibition Centre 24-26 May 2016 http://irrigationaustralia.com.au/ Annual Processing Tomato R & D Forum Wednesday 8 June, 2016 Mecure Port of Echuca, 1:00pm until 5:30pm Followed by dinner For more info and to register please contact Liz Mann [email protected] Farm Chemical User Course – Full Venue: Echuca, Mecure Port of Echuca Date: 29 and 30 August 2016, Time: 8:30am to 4:30pm More info: Contact Ross Wade [email protected] Farm Chemical User Course Refresher Venue: Echuca, Mecure Port of Echuca Date: 30 August 2016, Time: 9:00am to 3:00pm More info: Contact Ross Wade [email protected] New R&D base in Portugal by Kagome (http://fruitworldmedia.com/index.php/featured/new-rd-baseportugal-kagome/) TOKYO — Kagome is setting up a research and development center in Portugal to examine tomato cultivation techniques and develop improved varieties of tomato plants. Global demand for tomatoes is on the rise as the world’s developing economies become more prosperous and populous. According to Kagome’s own calculations, the use of tomatoes in processed foods rose from 26 million tons in 2000 to over 40 million tons in 2012 and could reach 50 million tons in 2021. However, the major producing regions are running out of land for tomato cultivation, so there is a need for mass production technologies that can boost yields on the available land. MARCH 2016 Kagome has a food-processing subsidiary in Portugal that handles over 40% of the 1 million tons of tomatoes and semifinished goods like tomato paste procured by the Kagome group each year. In addition, Kagome is operating an experimental farm in Portugal where it is collaborating with NEC on the use of information technologies for mass production farming techniques. The new R&D base in Portugal will begin operations this summer, equipped with 120 million yen ($1 million) worth of processing and testing equipment. The scale of the facility and the staff may be increased in the future, but for now it will begin with a team of five researchers. They will work in tandem with the Portuguese subsidiary and with Kagome’s R&D headquarters in Japan to promote adoption of mass production technologies for tomato farming in various parts of the world. VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS TM12012- Sustainability Project PAGE 6 Weeds Helena Whitman It was disappointing to see that despite the great efforts of the majority of growers to maintain and comply with the Freshcare requirements this year, some have chosen to ignore the need for record keeping and have potentially wasted their time and money on an audit. Simply, if you are not going to keep the records why bother being in the program? There were a few hiccups regarding the need to test water used for irrigation and chemical application, however this has been addressed with growers being given an exemption by Freshcare to use the v.4 Risk Assessment for Preharvest Water. This states that if water is not applied (including chemical application) within 48 hours of harvest growers do not need to conduct a water test. Unfortunately for a few growers this was not sorted before their audits and they did receive Corrective Actions (CARs) . Growers should not be concerned about this and this CAR will be closed out during the next grower visit. At this time nearly all growers, including those not supplying to SPC,A have been audited to Freshcare. The next step is to conduct grower visits to close out CARs and collect information for Kagome. These visits will be during late April and early May. Growers are advised that Freshcare is undergoing an update for both Food Safety (v.4) and Environmental (v.3), however this will not affect your next audit. All growers will need to comply with the new version for audits post May 2017. There are some adjustments and a few new requirements that will need to be made and these will be explained once the final documents are available from Freshcare. During the next farm visit, growers will need to have a copy of their CARs/audit report available for closing out as well as information for their Kagome production. This will include hectares planted, fertilisers used, water use and Biodiversity plans. Helena will contact you regarding timing of farm visits. Please note that this project will be completed during 2016, prior to the next round of audits. If you have any questions regarding Sustainability programs please ask Helena ASAP. Kilter Rural Seasonal Update February 2016 Kilter Rural recently compiled a youtube video which includes footage of their processing tomato harvest. This video states that their crop averaged 131 t/ha, and provided a profit of $600/ML This can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QjojkWvRSo MARCH 2016 This year has a few weeds not commonly found in processing tomato crops have been sited. These include Dodder and Common or Fierce Thornapple. Thornapple belong to the Solanaceae family. All these are also Declared Noxious Weeds in Victoria. Under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act) certain plants are declared as noxious weeds in Victoria. These plants cause environmental or economic harm or have the potential to cause such harm. They can also present risks to human health. The CaLP Act defines four categories of noxious weeds: State Prohibited Weeds Regionally Prohibited Weeds Regionally Controlled Weeds Restricted Weeds. State Prohibited: invasive plants that either, do not occur in Victoria but pose a significant threat if they invade, or are present, pose a serious threat and can reasonably be expected to be eradicated. If present, infestations of a State prohibited weed are relatively small. They are to be eradicated from Victoria if possible or excluded from the State. The Victorian Government is responsible for their eradication, but under Section 70(1) of the CaLP Act, it may direct land owners to prevent their growth and spread. If you think you have purchased or seen a State prohibited weed, please contact DEDJTR by telephoning 136 186. Please do not attempt to control or dispose of these weeds yourself Regionally prohibited weeds: are not widely distributed in a region but are capable of spreading further. It is reasonable to expect that they can be eradicated from a region and they must be managed with that goal. Regionally controlled weeds: invasive plants which are usually widespread in a region. To prevent their spread, ongoing control measures are required. Land owners, including public authorities responsible for crown land management, must take all reasonable steps to eradicate regionally prohibited and controlled weeds on their land. Restricted weeds: This category includes plants that pose an unacceptable risk of spreading in this State and are a serious threat to another State or Territory of Australia. Trade in these weeds and their propagules, either as plants, seeds or contaminants in other materials is prohibited. In the Mallee region both Dodder and Thornapple are classified as Restricted weeds, whereas in the North Central region Dodder is classified as a Restricted weed, and Thornapple as Regionally controlled. VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS PAGE 7 Potassium Trial Update Canada: Ontario company launches made-for-farming drone technology A potassium trial was conducted this year that followed the same protocol as the 2014-15 protocol trials. Two different potassium products were applied at two different rates. The results from this trial supported the results from the last two seasons of potassium trials. That is, there was no significant 1-Control 2-High KP 40kg 3-High KP 80kg 4-Carbo K 80kg 5-Carbo K 40kg Treatment Prob (F) Tukey's HSD P = 0.05 Yield (t/ha) 119.30 a 119.49 a 118.53 a 111.21 a 116.56 a 0.3853 14.59 Brix 5.03 5.18 5.13 5.10 5.13 0.8601 0.44 a a a a a pH 4.49 4.55 4.52 4.52 4.51 0.4678 0.09 a a a a a A new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designed and built in Ontario specifically for agricultural uses has been launched on the market. A&L Canada Laboratories of London, Ontario has developed and equipped the first-of-its kind drone with the sensors, equipment, and software that will let farmers easily collect and interpret valuable data that will help them make good crop and business management decisions. “We have built a plane that is a full solution – easy to fly, affordable, and with reliable software that works seamlessly,” explains Greg Patterson, Certified Crop Advisor and President of A&L Canada Laboratories. “We can have data from a plane onto a tablet on the edge of the field in 10 minutes.” The company has also developed a multispectral sensor that can fit either into the UAV it has developed or can be retrofitted into other drones. A&L’s multispectral sensor picks up more bandwidths of light than the currently used infrared sensors, enabling farmers to collect and extract more data – data that can be used to determine crop yields, identify nutritional disorders in plants, or detect the presence of disease in a field. Interesting Snippet from 12th World Processing Tomato Congress Maya Shehayeb from Euromonitor International spoke about “Opportunities in the Tomato Business given our Challenging Climate”. Interesting points from this presentation included: Italy is the key exporter of processed tomatoes, whole or in pieces to Brazil 82% of Latin America’s volume in 2015 was consumed by Brazil, Mexico and Argentina 59% of the Middle Wast and Africa’s volume in 2015 was consumed by Iran, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia 44% of the Asia Pacific’s volume in 2015 was consumed by China, Indonesia and India China’s production is mainly geared towards exports to Africa and Russia, with 75% of Chinese exports going to the key growth markets Key markets for expansion include Ketchup in India and Indonesia, Paste and purees in Nigeria and Iran, Pasta Sauces in Brazil Appreciation of US$ is decreasing it’s attractivenedd to export to EU MARCH 2016 “We’re about selling a technology that is useful to farmers in gathering crop production data, offering a solution that is practical and easy for anyone to use,” says Patterson. “Not only does our technology collect data, but we also offer the agronomy support for interpreting that data, which no one else in the industry currently does.” A&L Canada began experimenting with UAV technology in 2009, but challenges linked to finding suitable equipment and reliable software convinced the company to design their own system from the ground up with the needs of their agricultural client base in mind. The beta version of the UAV was on display at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock last September and A&L has been taking orders for spring 2016 delivery of the units. A&L is also planning to offer customized data collection services using UAVs. The technology will be marketed by Aero Insights Inc., a division of A&L Canada Laboratories. A&L Canada was formed in 1985 and is Canada’s largest agricultural and environmental laboratory specializing in soil, plant tissue, fertilizer and water testing. Source: Ag Innovation Ontario Publication date: 17/2/2016 VOL. 26 NO. 1 TOMATO TOPICS Potential Uses for Tomato Waste Work is currently occurring across the world in the area of uses for tomato by-products. A number of ISHS presentations in Chile covered potential uses of tomato by-products. Currently tomato pomace is generally either disposed of as animal feed or landfill. Work conducted in Spain presented by Bermejo, in Chile demonstrated the potential use of tomato by-products (peel and seeds) to obtain new Intermediate Food Products (IFPs) which when mixed with tomato juice resulted in elevated concentrations of fibre and lycopene. Work is also being conducted in Italy to adopt eco-friendly, safe and more sustainable packaging for consumers., with emphasis on the recovery, recycling and upgrading of byproducts. A poster was presented in Chile that discussed the use of bio-based coating from tomato processing wastes for use with metal packaging. The poster presented by Montanari detailed a novel bio-lacquer from tomato skins, where by cutin is extracted from tomato skins. Human Health, Wellbeing and Tomatoes Recent research by Dr Ruth Edge from The University of Manchester, together with her colleagues Professor George Truscott from Keele University and Professors Fritz Boehm & Christian Witt from Berlin has evaluated the effectiveness of lycopene at protecting against radiation at the University of Manchester's Dalton Cumbrian Facility, part of the Dalton Nuclear Institute. PAGE 8 The results of the study, published in FEBS Letters, have shown that lycopene is an effective carotenoid at offering protection from the damaging effects of gamma radiation, and that dietary intervention could be useful in efforts to defend people from these effects. Read more at MedicalXpress Gwen Young presented the Commission on Tomatoes and Health report at the recent WPTC meeting in Chile in March 2016. This included details of a number of recent studies, including: Study based upon NHANES survey data. Publication: Nutrition Research January 2016, Dr. G. Han, University of Nebraska found that the mean survival time for persons with metabolic syndrome is significantly higher with greater lycopene serum concentration (121mo vs 107) A study on the Antioxidant nutrients in plasma of Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome, and bronchial asthma. (A. Ishigami, The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2016) suggested chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may develop partly because of oxidative stress derived from a shortage of antioxidant nutrients. Lycopene and total carotenoid levels in blood were significantly lower in COPD subjects. Hence possible: lycopene and other antioxidant nutrients may prevent COPD. A study on the effects of tomato juice on male infertility, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, accepted for publication in 2016, Y. Yamamoto, K. Aizawaet al, Japan found that regular consumption of tomato juice may improve sperm motility for infertile patients. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: This project [Australian Processing Tomato Industry Capacity Building Program (TM13007)] project has been funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited with co-investment from Australian Processing Tomato Research Council Inc. and funds from the Australian Government. “Tomato Topics” is a quarterly newsletter compiled and edited by Liz Mann, Industry Development Manager, APTRC Inc., P.O. Box 2293, SHEPPARTON, VIC 3632. Phone: (03) 5825 4633, Fax: (03) 5825 4725, Mobile: (0427) 857-578, E-mail: [email protected] Opinions expressed in “Tomato Topics” are not necessarily those of the APTRC unless otherwise stated. Sender: APTRC Inc. P.O. Box 2293 SHEPPARTON, VIC 3632 SURFACE MAIL Postage Paid Mooroopna Victoria Austra lia 3629 Print Post Approved PP343935/0060 MARCH 2016 VOL. 26 NO. 1