The Rural Voice, 1980-08, Page 12between 10 and 45 per cent.
Later studies at Guelph showed that
ozone also caused damage to turf grasses.
Since wheat is of the grass family of plants,
it stands to reason that this grain also
suffers severe losses in years of high ozone
concentrations.
Less clear cut is the damage caused by
acid rain on crops in southern Ontario.
Recent studies by Guelph researchers
claim that the sulfuric acid may have
beneficial effects on our crops. The
Environmental Science department's Dr.
Hofstra says that in our area plants need
some extra sulfur so acid rain is beneficial
to our farmers.
The sulfuric and nitritic acids from
pollution are not strong enough to cause
concern about their effect on our clothing,
even if strong concentrations would etch
glass.
What our farm organizations should be
doing is to demand studies to show how
much ozone, also caused by industrial
pollution, is costing the farmers of Ontario.
The latest decision by the industrial
world powers meeting at Venice, where
they decided to increase both nuclear and
coal powered electric generation, should
worry everyone. The emission from the
burning coal will cause more ozone and so
more crop damage. Climate has been
blamed for the lower grain corn yields in
our east as compared with the American
mid -west. But the mid -west is free from
industrial pollution. Could there be a
connection?
Our Ontario farmers can safely forget
about acid rain, however fashionable it is to
bandy concern about it around. Ou r
farmers should be concerned about ozone
instead.
A dream in the making at Agri Park
Fresh Bruce tomatoes
BY GISELE IRELAND
The Bruce Nuclear Development may have eclipsed the
production of beef in Bruce County as the number one industry,
but in the next 10 years the greenhouse industry could well take
that title.
After years of planning, a one acre test project north of the
town of Kincardine is proving itself a success. At present the
excess water from the Bruce has the equivalent energy of three
million barrels of oil a year. The one acre greenhouse has not
been operating on this waste yet - the heat has been simulated to
test whether it would work or not. The evidence of success is in
the tomatoes and cucumbers that are being shipped daily.
The one acre prototype is located on the 5th concession of
Kincardine Township, one mile north of Kincardine. The
partnership known as the Bruce Agri Park Joint Venture includes
Huron Ridge Limited, The Consumer's Gas Co., the Ontario
Energy Corp.. Trans -Canada Pipe Lines Ltd.. Anderson Flax
Products Ltd., and the Weston Energy Resource Ltd.
The project opened officially on Aug. 15th, 1979. Peter Van
Tuyl is head grower at the Agri Park. He has 29 years of green
house experience behind him. The Bruce tomato seedlings were
grown by Peter's son in Leamington. The cucumbers were
started from seed on July 3rd, 1979. At present they are growing
about 80 per cent red type tomatoes and the rest pink.
Half the greenhouse area has plants directly in the soil, and
the other half in grower bags. These bags contain half and half
vermiculite and peat moss,and fertilizer is fed to the plants daily.
The bags are being used the third time around and are still
producing tremendous crops. The plants in the greenhouse
attain a 6 to 8 foot height.
The agri park experimented with various coverings for the
greenhouses and started out with two covered in double
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PG. 10 THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1980