Commercial Vegetable Production Research Articles

The role of fertilization practices in the yield and quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

The influence of different fertilization practices on the growth, yield and inner quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.) was studied. The field experiments were carried out in Southern Finland, on the experimental farm of Kemira Oy, in 1985 and 1986. Unirrigated and irrigated placement and broadcast fertilization, NPK fertirrigations without or with basic fertilization, and PK placement with N fertirrigations were compared. Placement and broadcast fertilizations were carried out by single application, whereas NPK or N fertirrigations were performed as split applications. The highest yields were obtained when the total phytomass production was high. The yield increased by the placement of NPK fertilizer as compared to broadcast fertilization, and by the placement of P and K as compared to treatments where P and K were broadcasted or fertirrigated. The PK placement with N fertirrigations increased the root dry matter content as compared to NPK fertirrigations. The lowest NO3-N contents of roots were obtained by unirrigated placement fertilization. NPK fertirrigations caused higher root NO3-N contents than any other fertilization practice, and irrigation as such increased the NO3-N contents. Root N and P contents were increased by placement of PK or NPK fertilizers, but fertilization practices had no effects on K, Mg and Ca contents. Single application increased ash and dietary fibre contents as compared to split applications. In conclusion, the placement of NPK or PK fertilizers had positive effects on the above mentioned quality criteria and yield, and thus in future research and in commercial vegetable production these fertilization practices should be utilized. Fertilization practices had no or only slight effects on the carotene and sugar contents, taste, texture and the quality of stored carrots. Carotene content increased as the growing season progressed, and was 41 % higher in the climatically more favourable year 1986 than in 1985. Total sugar contents were higher in the climatically less favourable year 1985 and in unfertilized treatments than in 1986 and in fertilized treatments. It was hypothesized that carrot sugar contents are related to growth and total phytomass production. The indicative results showed that the NPK fertirrigations without basic fertilization had a slight positive effect on carrot taste and texture as compared to placement fertilization but, on the other hand, the NPK fertirrigations without basic fertilization showed a tendency to impair the storage ability as compared to single application. In conclusion, carotene and sugar contents are strongly influenced by genotype and climate and thus it is logical that the effects of fertilization practices remained slight. The results of carrot taste do not allow any final conclusions to be drawn; further investigation on the subject is needed.

A Nitrogen and Water Response Surface for Sprinkler‐Irrigated Broccoli1

AbstractFarmers typically apply large amounts of both N and water in commercial vegetable production. As costs of both inputs increase, and with mounting concern over nitrate leaching and non‐point source water pollution, the need for information on optimal management of both resources grows. We investigated the combined effects of five N application rates (0, 87, 190, 255, and 331 kg ha−1) and a continuous irrigation variable (1.14 to 32.9 cm of water, or 0.05 to 1.52 times net pan evaporation) applied by a line‐source sprinkler system on broccoli (Brassica oleraceaL., Botrytis group) growth rates and yield. Growth rates generally increased with both water and N treatments, although some interactions emerged. Harvested fresh weights continued to increase throughout the range of treatments, applied, with maximum yields in excess of 20 Mg ha−1. Yield (Mg ha−1) responded to N (kg ha−1) and water applied following seedling establishment (cm) according to the equation Y−1.03 + 0.0498 N− 8.73 × 10−5N2+ 1.23 × l0−3NW+ 0.272 W− 8.20 × 10−3W2, where Yis yield, Nis nitrogen, and Wis water applied after seedling establishment. Analysis of the resulting response surface indicated that under these conditions of frequent sprinkler irrigation (approximately twice weekly), relatively low N rates (140 kg ha−1) provided the lowest combined N and water cost for 10 Mg ha−1) yield. Further, yields increased with higher N and water rates, although quality must also be considered

How Can You Reduce Flooding Damage to Vegetable Crops?

Several management practices have been reported to help crops partially or entirely overcome flood damage. For example, the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers overcomes N deficiency, while natural or synthetic hormones are used to correct hormone imbalances, and the addition of fungicides help control soil-borne pathogens. We recently conducted a flooding experiment with bush bean, cowpea, and sweet corn. This article recommends some practices to alleviate flooding damage of vegetables. This document is SL 206, one of a series of the Soil and Water Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication Date: August 2003. 
 SL 206/SS425: Practices to Minimize Flooding Damage to Commercial Vegetable Production (ufl.edu)

Changes in the Areal Distribution of Commercial Vegetable Production in Florida

Changes in the Areal Distribution of Commercial Vegetable Production in Florida

The freezing preservation of vegetables

The commercial preservation of foods and food products began in the United States with the freezing of fish and poultry in 1865, the freezing of small fruits in 1905 and the freezing of vegetables in 1929. The earliest year for which pack statistics for frozen fruit were reported was 1908, when about 10,000 pounds of berries were frozen. The commercial freezing of fruit and fruit products developed slowly at first and increased appreciably only in 1936 and later. Production reached 525 million pounds in 1946, rose to 695 million pounds in 1956, decreased to 620 million pounds in 1959, but reached a maximum of 697 millions in 1960. The commercial production of vegetables started later and at first developed more slowly. The pack amounted to 7 million pounds in 1937 (less than 9%o of the frozen fruit pack), reached 450 million pounds in 1946 (86% of the frozen fruit pack), 1,626,000,000 lbs. in 1959 (26.3% of the frozen fruit pack), and 1,959,000,000 in 1960 (281% of the frozen fruit pack.) The production of frozen vegetables increased much more rapidly during the period 1947-1955, than did that of frozen fruit. The frozen food industry is second to the dry food industry in its use of folding cartons for packaging. A recent survey indicated that the frozen food industry annually uses 3,600 millions of cartons in comparison with 10,200 millions used by the dry food industry. The distribution of use is shown in Table 1. This indicates that 125 plants of 555 were processing

The Competitive Position of West Texas in Commercial Vegetable Production

HE purpose of this paper is to describe the method used to analyze an array of possible new alternative crops and determine the ones with the greatest probability of profit for the farmer. This method is particularly applicable to perishable crops, such as fruits and vegetables. This work was developed as a study of the vegetable market potentials and facility requirements for West Texas. For purposes of discussion the analytical procedure will be broken down into three steps: 1) production possibilities of the local area, 2) the competing producing areas, and 3) the nature of possible interregional competition in consuming markets. An actual study does not proceed in this fashion as it is necessary to consider as many factors as are known concerning each of these problem areas simultaneously with the intensive study of each one. Such an approach requires cooperation between production specialists in the technical departments and agricultural economists. That type of analysis involves the consideration of a great many details. This paper will deal only with the three steps listed above. The cost of production would involve a paper in itself. The following procedure of progressive approximation was developed as a method of determining economically feasible, alternative crops. It can be used either to select economically feasible crops from which farmers looking for alternatives could choose, or to evaluate the shifts which have taken place in a given area. There are a number of factors that determine the most feasible alterna-