Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Kentucky has an abundance of small and medium farms across the state growing tomatoes. Fresh market tomatoes represent one of the most valuable vegetable crops in Kentucky. In 2018, a report from the Center for Crop Diversification estimated returns of $5,000 to $6,500 per acre of tomatoes and up to $8,700 per acre for organic tomatoes. A new 60-acre indoor farm in eastern Kentucky began producing tomatoes in 2021 and plan to ship 45 million pounds each year. Peppers are also grown in Kentucky, primarily for fresh market sales. Total vegetable cash receipts in Kentucky totaled $33.6 million in 2018 (NASS). Another solanaceous crop, tobacco is historically an important crop in Kentucky; however, following a national trend, the number of acres of tobacco harvested in this state has been steadily declining. Even with that decline, Kentucky agricultural receipts for tobacco in 2019 equaled $279 million.
We will obtain permission from 16 growers to survey for 7 Lepidopteran pests of concern by placing pheromone traps in their fields.
For this survey, we will place 1 trap for each of the following pests in each farm: Silver Y Moth, Golden Twinspot Moth, Old World Bollworm, False Codling Moth, Tomato Leafminer, Cotton Cutworm, and Tomato Fruit Borer. The establishment of any of these pests would have large negative impacts on the state’s solanaceous industry. To ensure excellent coverage statewide, five University of Kentucky employees and one independent contractor will conduct this survey. These individuals will visit each grower 5 times to set the traps, change the lures according to protocol, take moth samples, and remove the traps. Conducting the survey from late spring/early summer 2022 to fall of 2022, will encompass the life cycles of the target insects.
Accomplishment reports will be completed and submitted in the timeframe specified in the agreement and all data will be uploaded to the NAPIS database.
Prior Experience
We received PPA 7721 funding to conduct the Solanaceous Commodity Survey for the first time in FY19. Traps targeting 6 moth pests were set in 16 fields located in central, northern, southern, and western Kentucky. 192 samples were submitted and all were negative for target pests. In FY20, two additional priority pests were added to the list, so we added them to that survey and placed traps for 8 moth pests in 16 fields across the state. We submitted 244 samples and all were negative for target pests. The FY21 survey is currently underway with 7 insect traps per field (since 1 pest was removed from the priority pest list). Surveyors are also scouting for Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus when tomatoes are grown in greenhouses.
The FY21 midyear accomplishment report is not due until December 1, 2021; therefore, I have attached the FY20 final accomplishment report. For every year of funding, we have submitted a midyear and final report outlining our accomplishments, demonstrating how much of the state was impacted by this survey, the number of samples collected, etc.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 5/1/22 → 4/30/23 |
Funding
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: $29,606.00
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