Small-scale Vegetable Growers Research Articles

Exploring the attitudes and strategies of peri-urban vegetable growers in the Santiago Metropolitan Region of Chile

Vegetable production is common in peri-urban agriculture where produce is sold in nearby towns, and the Santiago Metropolitan Region (SMR) in Chile is no exception. The objective of this article is to explore the productive, commercial and management strategies of small-scale vegetable growers at the SMR, their attitudes towards their activity, and to identify different profiles. We surveyed in person 170 farmers. The data was analyzed using descriptive and multivariate techniques. Results suggestthat different characteristics and strategies are concomitant to certain attitudes that vegetable growers hold towards key aspects such as innovation or willingness to associate.

Characteristics and attitudes of small-scale vegetable farmers in Chile

ABSTRACT: An adequate supply of fresh, high quality and accessible vegetables is essential for a healthy food system. In Latin America, these are mostly produced by smallholder farmers. The objective of this research was to characterize the productive and commercial development of small-scale vegetable growers and to further understand and explain their attitudes on their business. A total of 335 farmers in Central Chile area were surveyed. The data was processed using descriptive and multivariate techniques. Results showed that farmers have a positive self-assessment of their technical performance, production quality and the contribution of farming to their household income. They express uncertainty about the future, as well as some disappointment with the prices they receive for their produce and their access to public support programs. There are significant differences between farmers within the sample; however, which allow two distinct clusters to be identified: “conformist” (69.05%) and “critical” (30.95%). These results suggested that these small-scale vegetable growers have certain generalizable attitudes and other divergent. The differences in attitudes coincide with differences in objective characteristics, including age, education, farm size and technology.

Effect of Environment on Survival of Eggplant, Pepper, and Tomato in a Small-scale Healing Chamber

Many small-scale vegetable growers in the United States who graft their own vegetable transplants use healing chambers inside a greenhouse to heal their grafted plants. Under these conditions, light and relative humidity (RH) can fluctuate during the healing process, and growers need more research-based information regarding the impact of these factors on the survival of grafted transplants. To address this need, this study investigated the effect of different targeted levels of light (0%, 25%, and 50%) and RH (50% and 100%) (six combinations) in a small-scale healing chamber within a greenhouse, where the healing chamber was opened for increasing periods of time for 8 days, at which time plants were fully exposed to greenhouse conditions. The survival and growth of self-grafted eggplant (Solanum melongena), pepper (Capsicum annuum), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were measured up to 25 days post grafting. Percent light in the closed healing chambers was similar for the 50% and 100% RH levels of each light treatment. When the healing chambers were closed, compared with the greenhouse, there was 0.1% light in the 0% light treatments, 25% light on average in the 25% light treatments, and 43% light on average in the 50% light treatments. On days 2 to 5 after grafting, when chambers were opened up to 1 hour, average RH in the healing chambers was 96% to 98% for the 100% RH treatments, and was 42% to 49% for the 50% RH treatments. On days 6 and 7, when chambers were opened for 3 to 8 hours, RH was 79% to 82% for the 100% RH treatments, and was 39% to 46% for the 50% RH treatments. Survival of grafted plants following healing was greatest when the healing chamber treatment was 100% RH and 50% or 25% light (95% and 90% survival, respectively), and plant survival with these two treatments did not significantly decline from 11 to 21 days after grafting, indicating plants were fully healed and acclimated when they were removed from the healing chambers on day 8. At 22 to 25 days following grafting, plants healed with 100% RH and 50% or 25% light had greater plant height, number of leaves per plant, and stem diameter than plants healed in the other light and RH combinations. SPAD reading and nitrate-nitrogen of fresh petiole sap were unaffected by any of the healing treatments tested in this experiment, or by crop type. Tomato and pepper had 14% greater survival rates on average than eggplant at all measurement dates, while tomato tended to have greater plant growth, followed by eggplant and pepper. Additional research is needed to improve survival of grafted eggplant.

Pesticide use in vegetable production: A survey of Vietnamese farmers' knowledge

Concerns about inappropriate storage, application rates, and disposal practices of pesticides prompted this case study of Vietnamese farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices. 128 small-scale vegetable growers in Lam Dong Province were included in field surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. Farmers reported inappropriate mixing of pesticides and disposal methods. Many also reported ill-timed applications posing potential hazards to the human health and environment. Improved training and monitoring of pesticide residues on foodstuffs and in agricultural soils and community water supplies are needed to ensure safe farmer practices. Community-based training and education, jointly funded by local, national, and international agricultural production and food safety groups, would be a cost-effective method of minimising pesticide applications and improving food safety.

Yield and Yield Attributes of Tomato as Influenced by Organic Fertilizer

A field experiment was established at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer on yield and yield attributes of tomato from October 2014 to March 2015. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with four treatments being varying levels of organic fertilizer; 0 kg m, 5 kg m, 7.5 kg m and 10 kg m each replicated three times. The growth attributes measured were plant height, stem thickness, canopy diameter, number of leaves, fruits and fruit weight. Organic fertilizer application rates of 7.5 and 10 kg m showed significantly (P = .05) taller plants from weeks 4 to 6 compared to other treatments. A highly significant difference in plant canopy was observed across the four application rates from weeks 1 to 5. Canopy spread was overall higher in the 10 kg m application rate across all the weeks. A highly significant treatment effect was observed on leaf number with plants in the 10 kg m application rate exhibiting the highest number of leaves. Stem thickness showed significance differences across treatments with the 10 kg m application rate having thicker stems. A highly Original Research Article Mojeremane et al.; AJEA, 12(1): 1-10, 2016; Article no.AJEA.24630 2 significant treatment effect was observed on number of harvested fruits with the 7.5 kg m application rate showing higher yields between the first and fourth harvest and 10 kg m application rate from fifth to sixth harvest. Organic fertilizer had a significant effect on fruit weight from first to third harvest with the 10 kg m application rates having the heaviest tomato fruits. The 10 kg m application rate outperformed the lower rates for most measured parameters. The organic fertilizer is recommended to small-scale vegetable growers because it is affordable and abundant in Botswana.

Compost mulch no-tillage systems in organic vegetable production

With growing agricultural demands from both conventional and organic systems comes the need for sustainable practices to ensure long-term productivity. In Hungary small scale vegetable growers face challenges in producing their crops due to the lack of effective weed control practices and viable methods of sustainable soil fertility management based on local or regional soil amendment resources. There is a demand for cultural practices that reduce hand labor requirements and black plastic mulches whereas long-term productivity is held or increased. To identify effective alternative weed control and soil fertility management options for the management of intensive organic vegetable systems, our research focuses on the evaluation of compost and paper mulches, in conjunction with reduced-tillage practices. In 2015 determinate tomato (cv. Roma) is grown in five different soil treatments using yard waste compost (YWC) mulch and combination of YWC and paper mulch (PM) plus bare ground control under intensive and reduced tillage variants to evaluate their effectiveness on organic tomato marketable yield and weed suppression. Since most organic tomatoes at present are grown on small acreage in Hungary, and are direct-marketed, the application of organic mulches can be assumed financially feasible. Our results will show if the combination of organic mulching materials together with reduced tillage may be a viable option for organic vegetable growers. Keywords: alternative weed control, compost, compost mulch, paper mulch, organic, no tillage, vegetable, tomato

ACCEPTABLE COOLING DELAYS FOR SELECTED WARM SEASON VEGETABLES AND MELONS

Small-scale vegetable growers often do not have postharvest equipment and may transport products to larger operations for cooling and storage. Delays from harvest to cool may impact quality mainly due to water loss and its consequences, loss of firmness and visual appearance. The impact of delays to cool on marketable quality (visual appearance, gloss, weight loss, color change, decay, defects, and firmness) was evaluated in several tests on warm season vegetables (eggplant, summer squash, peppers) and cantaloupe melons. In most tests, products were harvested early in the morning, placed in perforated plastic bags in coolers for transport to the lab and then exposed for different periods to temperature and humidity conditions that are representative of California conditions for that product. Products were then cooled and evaluated after a postharvest regime of storage and/ or retail display appropriate to each product. In some experiments packed products were held for different periods under field conditions before cooling. Sutured melons with 1.5% weight loss did not have browning, while fruit with 4-5% weight loss had severe suture browning. Delays to cool of 6-8 h at 37°C resulted in increased browning. For non-sutured cantaloupes, delays of 4 hours or longer at 25-30°C resulted in reduced quality when melons were stored for 2 weeks at 2.5°C. Weight loss of mature-green bell peppers during delays at 25 and 37°C was 0.4 and 0.75% per hour, respectively. A weight loss of 2 to 4% reduced pepper firmness, gloss and visual quality. Color change occurred in peppers held for 12 hours at 37°C before cooling. Marketable quality of Japanese eggplants was decreased with a 3% weight loss, achieved with a 3 hour delay at 37°C or 6 h delay at 25°C. Delays to cool at 25°C of 6 hours in yellow crookneck squash resulted in reduced quality and shelf-life.

Simulation of efficiency impact of drainage water re-use: Case of small-scale vegetable growers in North West Province, South Africa

This paper focuses on estimating the effect of drainage water reuse on the technical efficiency of small-scale vegetable growers in South Africa applying a data envelopment analysis (DEA). In the semi-arid North West Province of South Africa water scarcity and the soon to be implemented water charges have urged farmers in small-scale irrigation schemes to evaluate the efficiency of their water use. Data on 60 farmers were used to estimate the level of technical efficiency and the effect that drainage water re-use could have on efficiency levels. This effect of water reuse was simulated by a 5, 10, 15 and 20 per cent reduction in water use at farm level. A Malmquist productivity index was calculated to evaluate the effect of these reductions. The main finding was that under current farming conditions many farmers operated at suboptimal levels of technical efficiency. While a reduction in water use evidently increased factor productivity for most farms, the effect clearly varied strongly between farms. This confirms the need to take a systems approach for this type of evaluations.

Growth, Yield, and Economics of Okra and Amaranth Production Under Irrigation

Small-scale vegetable growers need investment and cost guidelines for irrigation systems in order to evaluate the economics and profitability of growing crops with irrigation. Growth, yield, and economics of producing okra and amaranth under four irrigation methods—basin, drip, furrow, and sprinkler—were evaluated. The experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, on a sandy loam soil during the dry season. Plant heights and leaf area index were measured at different stages of plant growth; yield was measured at maturity. Fixed and variable costs of all the methods were estimated using results from field experiments and data collected from 50 farms, as well as from the State Agricultural Development Authority. Economic analyses of crop growth under the four methods were carried out. Results indicated that plants receiving drip and sprinkler irrigation had significantly higher yield than furrow and basin for both amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) and okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]. However, drip irrigation had higher water use efficiency than the sprinkler system for both crops; for okra, water use efficiency with furrow irrigation was significantly higher than that for basin irrigation. Partial budgeting indicated that all systems were profitable. However, basin irrigation had the least cost-benefit ratio and drip had the highest. Economic analyses indicated that a minimum of a 2½- and 3-year period would be needed to pay off fixed assets for drip irrigation for amaranth and okra, respectively. It is recommended that drip irrigation be used for production of amaranth and okra, especially where labor is neither readily available nor cheap.

Bitterness and Composition of Lettuce Varieties Grown in the Southeastern United States

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) production historically has been limited in the southeastern United States because of the risk of early bolting and unacceptable bitterness. Small-scale vegetable growers may be able to include lettuce in their production through selection of bolt tolerant and nonbitter varieties. The objectives of this research were to evaluate earliness, bitterness, vitamin E, ascorbic acid, folate, β-carotene, and lutein content in 17 lettuce varieties. Significant difference were found among varieties for days to harvest (DTH) (47 DTH for `Epic' to 37 DTH for `Big Curly'). Observed DTH in this study was consistently 7 to 10 days less than commercial descriptions of the lettuce varieties, due to the use of transplants. Only `Slobolt' and `Greengo' bolted before reaching marketable size. Panelists found that the bitterness was acceptable for most varieties, but not for `Nancy,' `Big Curly,' and `Slobolt'. Significant differences among varieties were also found in vitamin E, ascorbic acid, folate, β-carotene, and lutein. `Redprize' and `Nevada' were the best varieties overall, while `Salinas 88 Supreme,' `Epic,' `Legacy,' `Big Curly,' `Slobolt,' and `Greengo' were unacceptable.