Vegetable Press 

Vol. 01 No. 12
December 12, 2001

The State Fruit & Vegetable Conference

Dr. Rick Snyder
Vegetable Specialist

The Tri-State (Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas) Fruit & Vegetable Conference is being planned for February 6, 7, and 8 in Biloxi, MS. The educational program for commercial growers will be held at the President Casino Broadwater Towers Hotel.

The tentative agenda is attached at the end of this newsletter.

For information, contact Dr. John Braswell, Secretary of the Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, at the following address:

South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station
Box 193
Poplarville, MS 39470
or call 601-795-4526 or send email to braswell@ext.msstate.edu.

The MS Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association web site is at
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/mfvga.htm.

Information about the association, membership, etc. can be found on line.

On-farm Research Grants Available

Dr. Bill Evans
Truck Crops Experiment Station Research Coordinator

The USDA Southern Region SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Program) has released its 2002 call for proposals. Vegetable growers may participate in one of two programs.

The Producer Grant Program funds grower-initiated research in production and marketing designed to support and enhance economic, environmental, and social quality in agriculture production and marketing. The On-Farm Research Grant Program is designed to link growers with extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and/or non-governmental groups wanting to conduct on-farm research.

Both programs are designed to be grower friendly from an application and paperwork point of view. Contact your MSU-ES County Agent or visit the Southern SARE website at http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/sare.

Crop Residue Cleanup for Insect Management

Dr. J. Pat Harris
Extension Entomologist

Several of the more serious insect pests such as European corn borer, squash vine borer, squash bug, diamondback moth, tomato hornworm, cabbage looper, and imported cabbageworm are able to continue development on crop residues regardless if the plants are still producing vegetables. Other pests such as flea beetles can find food and shelter from weeds as well as crop residues throughout the winter. The two-spotted spider mites continue to feed on weeds after the crops have withered. Raised plastic beds also provide shelter for pests by giving them a protected place to spend the winter.

Destruction of crop residues shortly after harvest is recommended to discourage these pests from completing their fall development. Many insects need to attain a certain size or stage in order to survive the winter. Removal of crop residues may also reduce pest survival by exposing some of them to the winter elements. These weeds and crop residues will insulate these pests from frosts and freezes.

Destruction of cucumber and melon residues not only reduces food and shelter for cucumber beetles, but also reduces the acquisition of the bacterial wilt disease organism by the overwintering beetle generation. It is the bacteria that causes bacterial wilt that is stored in the gut of cucumber beetles this winter that will start the disease cycle next year.

A thorough fall cleanup should help to discourage some of the pests that may cause problems next year. Commercially, fields can be disked to destroy crop residues. Home gardeners can compost or till these residues into the soil. It is important to keep in mind this should not be just a fall practice to destroy crop residues. As soon as a crop has been harvested for the last time, clean up should begin, even if it is early summer for spring crops.

Disease Control Procedures For 2002

Dr. David M. Ingram
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Raymond, Mississippi

I believe everyone experienced a decent yielding vegetable crop this year. I have heard reports of tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers performing very well. I know that it was not without a lot of hard work that this came about. Our growers have "the right stuff". As you well know, now is the time to begin thinking about next year's crop. Questions such as what type of tillage will I employ; what style of irrigation system will I use; what brand of plastic mulch; do I need any new equipment that I can afford with profits from this year; how much fertility will I have to put into the piece of new ground; and what kind of disease and insect control program am I going to use next season should all be part of your planning strategy.

The first vegetable crop disease control procedure that should be employed at the end of every season is SANITATION. This is the simple process of removing old crop debris from the field. Crops that were staked should have the stakes removed. Most of the stakes used in our area are made of wood. My recommendation is to use wooden stakes for only one growing season. Fungi and bacteria from the soil and the plants will grow into these stakes and survive over the winter to be placed beside healthy transplants next spring. This increases the possibility of introducing disease early in the season. If you feel that you must use the stakes for another crop, then they should be disinfected in a bleach solution. Make up a solution of water and bleach (9:1), and then submerse the stakes for about 20-30 minutes. This should allow for penetration deep enough into the wood to kill most microorganisms. This procedure has no guarantee that a complete sterilization will take place.

Old crop residue should be plowed under, burned, or completely removed from the field area. I suggest plowing because this returns the organic matter to the soil. Beneficial bacteria and fungi, that will complete the decomposition process, will attack diseased plant material. Burning has long been known to destroy disease-causing organisms. As a matter of fact, no living organism can survive direct flame for very long. Of course, there are environmental concerns, such as the particulate pollution released from such activity. This procedure will have to be decided upon on a case-by-case basis.

The physical removal of old crop residue is most applicable in greenhouse operations, but can be useful to the homeowner with a small plot of vegetables. This material should be either burned some distance away from the greenhouse or placed in garbage bags for disposal. It could be placed in a compost pile if the pile is very active and has high internal temperatures to quickly degrade the refuse.

The second disease control strategy should utilize resistant varieties. Your seed supplier has information as to what diseases the particular crop is resistant or tolerant to. Recent advances have provided good disease control packages in many vegetable crops. Tomatoes now have resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus along with Fusarium wilt and nematode resistance. Many cucurbits have been breed for resistance to many of the aphid and whitefly-transmitted viruses. Several pepper cultivars and watermelons also have excellent disease resistant packages. Check with your seed supplier for details. Remember, plant disease RESISTANCE is the most cost effective method of disease control available to the grower.

Certain CULTURAL PRACTICES can also reduce the incidence and severity of vegetable crop diseases. We have already mentioned tillage to destroy infected crop residue. In the case of southern blight of tomato, a deeper tillage that turns the soil over to a depth of about 8-10 inches will bury the sclerotia produced by the fungus. This places the sclerotia deep in the soil and below the early season root growth zone. Only sclerotia in the top 2-4 inches of soil germinate and infect the stems and roots of tomato plants. Choose quality transplants for use in all production systems. Transplants should be strong, not too leggy, and with healthy root systems. Choose planting dates that avoid adverse weather conditions such as heavy rains or cooler than normal temperatures. This will ensure rapid growth of transplanted crops. Avoid any stress that would slow the crop down, especially early in the growing season. A healthy start to a crop helps result in a healthy end to the crop. And don't forget to have soil samples taken. This ensures that the proper fertility levels will be maintained during the growing season. I cannot say enough about soil samples.

Finally, I must say a word about FUNGICIDE usage. Scout the crop frequently for problems. Vegetable diseases show up quickly and can cause great damage in a short period of time. Have in your fungicide arsenal at least two fungicides with a different mode of action or chemistry of the active ingredient. Using one type of product and then switching to another helps to prevent resistance to the chemicals from developing in the fungi and bacteria. A couple of new products are out on the market with a couple more waiting registration. Contact your county extension office or the MSU-ES for details if you need assistance. Happy Holidays.

Ark-La-Miss Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference and Trade Show
President Casino, Broadwater Towers Hotel, Biloxi, Miss.
February 6, 7, & 8, 2002
(tentative program, as of 12-6-2001)

Wenesday, February 6

9:00 A.M. Registration
11:00 Trade Show Opens
1:00 Welcome

Kenny Austin - President, Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Nathaniel Roche' - President, Louisiana Vegetable Growers Association

Direct Marketing Session
Moderator - David Nagel

1:30 P.M. Selling Vegetables and Fruits at Today's Farmers Markets - Jimmy Boudreaux
2:00 Direct Marketing and the Story of Tanner's Orchards - Richard Tanner
3:00 Break - Visit with exhibitors
3:30 Pay as You Play, Squeeze More Money Out of Your Customers - Marilyn Tanner
4:30 Developing a Producers Owned Farmers Market - Bo Gallop and Andrew Smiley

New Farmers Program
Moderator - Charles Waldrup

6:00 P.M Getting Started in the Vegetable and Fruit Industry - Jimmy Boudreaux
7:00 Things Are Not Always What They Seem (Equipment That I Built In My Farm Shop) - Harrison "Buddy" Miller

Thursday, February 7

7:00 - 8:00 A.M. Grower Breakfast - Sponsored by Dillman Farms - Exhibit Area
8:00 Keynote Speaker - The Future of the Vegetable Fruit Industry in the Southeastern United States, Dr. Doug Sanders, NCSU (David Nagel, Moderator)
9:00 Concurrent Sessions

  • Vegetable Production - Emerald Room
  • Fruit Crops - Crystal Room
  • Blueberry Production - Ship Island Room
  • Organic Fruit and Vegetable Production - Petit Bois Island Room

5:00 P.M. Reception in Exhibitor Area
7:00 General Session - David Nagel, Moderator

Friday, February 8
Business Meetings

  • 8:30 A.M. Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
  • 8:30 A.M. Louisiana Vegetable Growers Association
  • 8:30 A.M. Arkansas Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
  • 9:00 A.M. Miss-Lou Blueberry Growers Association
  • 9:00 A.M. Mississippi Organic Growers Association
  • 9:00 A.M. Louisiana Organic Growers Association
  • 9:30 A.M. Miss-Lou Blueberry Growers Cooperative

Concurrent Session - Thursday, Feb 7, 2002
Vegetable Crop Production-Moderator - Sandra Benjamin

  • 9:00 A.M. Growing for a Small Farmers Market - Steve Richardson
  • 9:30 Food Safety - Mark Walderhaug
  • 10:00 Break - Visit with exhibitors
  • 10:30 Drip Irrigation and Fertigation on Vegetable Crops - Doug Sanders
  • 11:30 TSWV Resistant Bell Peppers - Curt Pollard
  • 12:00 Lunch

Moderator - Tommy Bishop

  • 1:30 Asparagus Production - Ralph Hanskiewicz
  • 2:00 Sweet Corn Production - Kent Cushman
  • 2:30 Break - Visit with exhibitors
  • 3:00 Disease Control in Vegetable Crops - David Ingram
  • 3:30 Seedless Watermelon Production - Thomas Horgan
  • 4:00 Insect Control in Vegetable Crops - Pat Harris

Concurrent session - Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002
Fruit Production

  • 9:00 a.m. Reduced Spraying in Peach Production - Donn Johnson
  • 9:30 How to Prepare a Site to Plant a Peach Orchard &endash; Charles Graham
  • 10:00 Muscadine Variety Study &endash; Steve Stringer
  • 10:30 Break &endash; Visit with exhibitors
  • 11:00 Frost Protection and Running a Successful Direct Marketing Fruit Operation - Richard Collins
  • 11:30 Wilthin Effectively Thins Mississippi Apples - Frank Matta
  • 12:00 Lunch
  • 1:30 Strawberry Production - Jimmy Boudreaux
  • 2:00 Mayhaw Production - R. T. "Spec" Sherrill
  • 2:30 Fig Varieties - E. N. O'Rourke
  • 3:00 Break - Visit with exhibitors
  • 3:30 Propagating Different Types of Fruit &endash; Charles Johnson
  • 4:00 Producing Peaches In Lincoln Parish &endash; Ed Mitcham
  • 4:30 Neglected Fruit for Home Orchards &endash; John Pyzner

Concurrent session - Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002
Blueberry Production - Moderator - Clayton Rouse

9:00 A.M. Chemical and Biological Control of the Blueberry Gall Midge, Cranberry Fruit Worm and Other Pests - Blair Sampson

  • 9:30 Factors Influencing Blueberry Pollination - Blair Sampson
  • 10:00 Honeybee Pollination Project for Rabbiteye Blueberries - Bob Danka
  • 10:30 Break - Visit with exhibitors
  • 11:00 Blueberry Nutrition and Fertility Practices - Jim Spiers
  • 11:30 Fertigation of Blueberries - Mike Goree
  • 12:00 Lunch

Moderator - John Braswell

  • 1:30 P.M. Establishing and Growing Southern Highbush Blueberries - Luis Monterde
  • 2:00 Model Program Incorporating Safety and Production in Packing Fresh Blueberries - Juan Silva and Mark Walderhaug
  • 2:30 Question and Answer Open Forum - Panel of Experts
  • 3:00 Blueberry Processing Equipment - Color Sorting Machines, Soft Berry Removal Machines, Destemmer and Lug Washing Machines - Butch Greiffendorf
  • 3:30 Break - Visit with exhibitors
  • 4:00 Increasing The Shelf Life of Blueberries by using CO2 - Frank Matta & Adel Al Quarashi
  • 4:15 Studies on Particle Film Technology for use in Blueberry Production - Jay Spiers & Frank Matta
  • 4:30 Evaluation of the Incidence of Splitting in Rabbiteye Blueberry Fruit - Donna Marshall
  • 4:45 Potential Products from Cull Berries from Blueberry Processing Lines - Juan Silva

Concurrent Session - Thursday Feb 7, 2002
Organic Production - Moderator - Guy Feltenstein

  • 9:00 A.M. National Organic Program - Richard Mathews
  • 1 0:30 Mississippi Amendments to the National Organic Program - Austin Vollor
  • 11:00 Program Incorporating Safety, Production and Packing of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables - Mark Walderhaug
  • 11:30 Rainbow Whole Foods Coop "A Growers Outlet" - Blue King
  • 12:00 Lunch

Moderator - Kyle Moppert

  • 1:30 P.M. Organic Tomato Production - Gary Joye
  • 2:00 Organic Vegetable Production - Terry Bordelon
  • 2:30 Break - Visit with exhibitors
  • 3:00 Practical Composting Systems in Organic Production - Verl Luzena
  • 3:45 Pest Management in Organic Systems - Utilization of Biologicals and Botanicals - Jackie Carlisi
  • 4:30 Reorganization of the Mississippi Organic Association Program Participants

 

Mr. Kenny Austin - President, Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Growers Assn, Oakvale, Miss.

Mr. Tommy Bishop - County Agent, Mississippi State University, Jasper Co. Bay Springs, Miss.

Mr. Terry Bordelon - Esterwood, Louisiana

Dr. Jimmy Boudreaux - Horticulture Extension Specialist, La. State Univ., Baton Rouge, La.

Dr. John Braswell - Extension Horticulturist, Miss. State Univ. Poplarville, Mississippi.

Ms. Jackie Carlisi - University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Dr. Richard Collins - Collins Round Mountain Orchard, Conway, Arkansas

Dr. Kent Cushman - Miss, State Univ. North Miss. Research & Extension Center, Verona, Miss.

Dr. Bob Danka - USDA Honey Bee Breeding Genetics and Physiology Lab, Baton Rouge, La

Mr. Guy Feltenstein - Alternative Crops, Miss. Dept. of Agriculture and Commerce, Meridian, Miss

Mr. Bo Gallop - Market Director, Covington Farmers' Market, Covington, Louisiana

Mr. Mike Goree - PolyDrip Irrigation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Dr. Charles Graham - Research Horticulturist, LSU AgCenter, Calhoun Research Sta, Calhoun, La.

Mr. Butch Greiffendorf - BEI, Inc., South Haven, Michigan

Mr. Ralph Hanskiewicz - R B Acres, Myrtle, Mississippi

Dr. Pat Harris - Extension Entomology Specialist, Mississippi State University, Decatur, Miss.

Mr. Thomas Horgan - North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Verona, Mississippi

Dr. David Ingram - Extension Plant Pathologist, Miss. State Univ., Raymond, Mississippi

Dr. Charles Johnson - Research Horticulturist, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Dr. Donn Johnson - Entomologist, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Dr. Gary Joye - Grand Coteau Organics, Grand Coteau, Louisiana

Mrs. Blue King - Manager, Rainbow Whole Foods Coop, Jackson Mississippi

Mr. Verl Luzena - Community Garden Coordinator, BREADA, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Mrs. Donna Marshall - Research Technician, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, Mississippi

Mr. Richard Mathews - USDA Washington, D.C., Director, National Organic Program

Dr. Frank Matta - Research Horticulturist, Miss. State Univ., Starkville, Mississippi

Mr. Harrison "Buddy" Miller - Plantation Pecan and Gift Company, Waterproof, Louisiana

Mr. Ed Mitcham - Mitcham Farms, Ruston, Louisiana

Mr. Luis Monterde - B&M Blueberries, Purvis, Mississippi

Mr. Kyle Moppert - Admin. Coordinator, Pesticides and Env. Programs, LA Dept. of Ag. and Forestry, Baton Rouge, La.

Dr. David Nagel - Horticulture Extension Specialist, Miss. State Univ., Starkville, Mississippi

Dr. E. N. O'Rourke - Louisiana State University, emeritus

Mr. Curt Pollard - Eastern Business Manager, Novartis Seed, Valdosta, Georgia

Dr. John Pyzner - Extension Horticulture Specialist, LSU AgCenter, Calhoun, Louisiana

Mr. Adel Al Quarashi - Graduate Student, Miss. State University, Starkville, Mississippi

Mr. Steve Richardson - Miss. State University, County Agent, Tate County, Senatobia, Mississippi

Mr. Nathaniel Roche' - President, Louisiana Vegetable Growers Assn., Opelousas, Louisiana

Mr. Clayton Rouse - Mississippi State University, County Agent, Lamar Co., Purvis, Miss.

Dr. Blair Sampson - Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, Mississippi

Dr. Doug Sanders - Extension Vegetable Specialist, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, N.C.

Mr. R. T. "Spec" Sherrill - On Mayhaw Hill Farm, Arcadia, Louisiana

Mr. Andrew Smiley - Market Manager, Red Stick Farmers' Market, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Mr. Jay Spiers - Graduate Student, Miss. State Univ., Starkville, Mississippi

Dr. Jim Spiers - Research Leader, Research Horticulturist, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, Mississippi

Dr. Steve Stringer - Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS, Small Fruit Research Sta., Poplarville, MS

Mrs. Marilyn Tanner - Tanners Orchard, Ltd., Speer, Illinois

Mr. Richard Tanner - Tanners Orchard, Ltd., Speer, Illinois

Mr. Austin Vollor - Special Asst. to the Miss. Attorney General assigned to MDAC, Jackson, MS

Mr. Charles Waldrup - County Agent, Mississippi State University, Smith Co., Raleigh, Miss.

Mr. Mark Walderhaug - Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, Washington, D.C.

Calendar of Coming Events

Calendar of Coming Events - Dr. Rick Snyder, Vegetable Specialist

February 6, 7, 8 - Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference, at the President Casino Broadwater Towers Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi. For information, see article in this newsletter.

February 15 - Northern Piedmont Specialty Crops School; at Southern Livestock Center, Oxford, North Carolina. Registration $25. For information, contact Carl Cantaluppi, P.O. Box 926, Granville, NC 27565; phone (919) 603-1350; email carl_cantaluppi@ncsu.edu.

February 23-26 - 30th National Agricultural Plastics Congress; at Doubletree Hotel Mission Valley, San Diego, CA. For information, go to www.plasticulture.org or call Patricia Heuser, Executive Director of ASP at 717-238-9762, or send email to pheuser@calabreseheuser.org.

Web Pages:

Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/

North Mississippi Research & Extension Center
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/nmrec/

Fall Flower & Garden Fest
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/fallgardenday.htm

Greenhouse Tomato FAQ
http://www.msucares.com/crops/comhort/greenhouse.html

Vegetable Resource Page
http://www2.msstate.edu/~ricks/

Organic Fruit and Vegetable Web Page
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/organic/

Greenhouse Tomato Short Course
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/GHSC.htm

Vegetable Press Newsletter
http://www.msucares.com/newsletters/vegpress/index.html

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