Lettuce, Onion/Leek CSAAC Toronto May 29 Photo credit: ISTA, AOSA, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Germination Presentation on Lettuce, Onion/Leek CSAAC Toronto May 29 Photo credit: ISTA, AOSA, USDA, McKenzie Seed, La Coop fédérée, Norseco, Kent Agri Presented by: Christine Ruckstuhl, Nadine Beaudoin, Chantal Lecavalier

Outline  Issue for growers  2018 Quebec Workshop  Quiz  What is the next step..

Types of problems that can occur with lettuce

Types of problems that can occur with lettuce Good germination, but no plant development

Types of problems that can occur with onions in greenhouse

Weak plants turn white and die

No seedling

The same lot viewed by the analyst

Financial impacts of wrong analysis  For a grower  Lost space in the greenhouse or the field + related costs (soil, heating, labour)  Less yield or no yield  For a dealer (supplier)  Loss of inventory and sales

Do you know how much $ this pail of lettuce seeds is worth?  Raw seeds: 400 M x $0.83/M= $332  Cost of priming/coating/treating: 400 M x $0.44/M= $178.80  Total cost of seeds: $510.80  Covers 2.6 acres  Harvest: 650 boxes/acre x $12 (average price)= $7,800 x 2.6 acres= $20,280  Potential total claim: $20,790.80

Do you know how much $ this pail of onion seeds is worth?  Raw seeds: 1500 M x 1.47= $2 205  Priming, encrustment, chemicals: 1500 M x $0.593/M= $889.50  Total cost of seeds: $3094.50  Covers: 6 acres  Harvest: 850 bags/acre, medium cost of $10/bag= $8500 x 6 acres= $51,000  Potential total claim: $54,094.50

2018 Quebec Workshop

December 2018: Workshop in Quebec Topic: germination « Lettuce, Onion and Celery » • Participants: 2 labs and 5 analysts •

Objectives: 3. Compare temperatures (Celery) 1. Evaluate seedlings  20 °C  Root system (Onion)  short, weak or stubby primary root  15-25 °C  Cotyledons (Lettuce)  Physiological necrosis 4. Compare Substrata (Onion and Celery)  Necrosis  Rolled paper e.g. towels (RT) 2. Compare lab conditions  Between paper (BP)  Growth chamber  blue, tan and white vs  Modified method: soil-less organic growing media (O)  Growth cabinet (Conviron..)

General observations  Onion We observed that:  Number of seeds per repetition could influence the results  4 reps of 50 seeds each showed better results than 2 reps of 100 seeds each  Modified method: soil-less organic growing media (O) shows better results:  Fewer short roots why? Coating and treatment Phytotoxicity

General observations  Celery We observed that:  Results in top paper (TP) were very different between labs: why?  Growing conditions seem to be a reason: e.g. covered, not covered, humidity …  Color of blotter: tan, white, blue …  Amazing results with the modified method  Soil-less organic growing media(O) instead of top paper (TP):  Fewer short roots why? coating, methods???  We thought that t emperature could be a factor:  No impact between 20 °C and 15-25 °C

General observations  Lettuce We observed:  Identification of seedling for physiological necrosis or necrosis could vary between analysts:  Different equipment is used :  Magnifying lamp  Microscope 10X or more  Handheld magnifier  Misinterpretation between the two types of necrosis

At the end of the workshop our biggest issues were..  Confusion with the definition of physiological necrosis and necrosis  Better results with the modified method (O) soil-less organic growing media

Necrosis (Definition from AOSA-SCST webinar) The word necrosis means dead cells. It is important to determine if the dead or drying spot is physiological necrosis, mechanical, in other words physical damage, or decay. Physiological necrosis (AOSA Rules for Testing Seeds)

Physiological necrosis M&P 2019 Jan M&P 2019 July

Lettuce Quiz

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Growing media comparison: Onion M&P methods AOSA methods

Our modified method: Soil less organic growing media in box, lightly covered Pros : Easier to evaluate (not tangled, less doubt: can we do better?) Cons: Needs more space, ungerminated seeds are harder to find We wanted to show you real seedlings…. Let’s see them in pictures!

Growing media comparison lab 1 9 days Soil-less organic growing media(O)

Growing media comparison lab 1 9 days Between paper Between paper Rolled towel (tan) (blue)

Final Results: Abnormal and dead Between paper Between paper Soil less growing Rolled towel (blue) (Tan) media

Growing media comparison lab 1 All lots final results, 14 days Results (100 seeds) Lots Treatment BP (tan) BP (blue) RT O 1 * Progro 72 68 45 82 2 Thiram 90 84 72 93 3 unknow 71 62 56 85 4 unknow 58 41 47 64 5 Sepresto, Progro 94 97 89 98 * Pictures Highest results Lowest resuts

Growing media comparison lab 2 Final results: 75 normals 22 abnormals 3 deads Between paper (BP)

Growing media comparison lab 2 Final results: 94 normals 2 abnormals 4 deads Soil-less organic growing media(O)

Growing media comparison lab 2 Overview Between paper(BP) Soil-less organic growing media(O)

M&P Seedling descriptions

It's up to you now! Onion Quiz 3 4 1 2

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Conclusion…. our biggest issues are still..  Confusion with the definition of physiological necrosis and necrosis  Better results with the modified method (O) soil-less organic growing media claim over evaluate LAB 90% Client Grower 75% Under evaluate Loss of inventory and sales Less yield or no yield

 Do you have the same issues with those species?  If CFIA does a referee on both subject, would your lab participate?

 Thank you!  Merci!