Progress 06/01/08 to 05/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project focused on applied research to develop protocols for producing and marketing horticultural crops and specialty grains. Products include 23 new and 92 revised crop profiles, which provide information on marketing, production, and profit potential, as well as four new and 11 revised marketing profiles, which offer information about marketing systems. Results and other information are disseminated via the Crop Diversification & Biofuel Research & Education Center (formerly New Crop Opportunities Center) Web site at www.uky.edu/ag/CDBREC. Information has been disseminated at the: UK Research and Education Center Field Day; Robinson Center Field Day; Horticulture Research Farm Field Day; KY Fruit and Vegetable Growers Meeting (Lexington); Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, and American Applied Economics Association annual meetings; a workshop at KY St. University; and at field days and producer meetings around the state. Information was in the form of presentations, research reports, and crop profiles. The audience included farmers and extension agents. In an irrigation project, poblano peppers were grown under four automated, tensiometer-controlled irrigation regimes. Soil moisture data and plant midday leaf water potential and relative water content data were collected. Five tensiometer-based, automated irrigation treatments were tested for tomato in 2009 and 2010. In a project involving an organic production system to control cucumber beetles in cucurbits, muskmelons were grown using a plasticulture system. Treatments consisted of a control with no treatment; organic standard production method (laying row cover fabric over the crop to exclude beetles until flowering and then uncovering the crop until the end of the season with organic pesticides applied as needed); and the preferred method (row cover fabric until flowering, uncovering for two weeks with organic pesticides as needed and then recovering with the row cover fabric until harvest). Additional treatments were used (bumblebee pollination, opened ends of row covers, shorter duration uncovering for pollination). In a blackberry value-added product project, a survey was administered to random samples of 3,000 residents in Ohio and KY. The survey asked respondents to suppose they were choosing between two jars of blackberry jam. Two product profiles gave information on the brand of jam, presence/absence of organic certification, presence/absence of a state proud logo, presence/absence of a small family farming association logo, presence of nutritional claims, identification of the sub-state region of production, and purchase price. An organic grain cropping systems project compared: low grain intensity (only corn is produced per each two-year rotation); medium grain intensity (corn and soybeans); and high grain intensity (corn, winter wheat, and soybeans). In an ethanol project, switchgrass samples were analyzed for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash content. In a chia project, researchers developed a mutagenesis protocol and produced second-generation mutant seeds. Early flowering mutants were allowed to produce seed. The most promising lines were evaluated. PARTICIPANTS: Robert Houtz was the principal investigator on the project. Principal investigators and co-principal investigators on specific research projects were Tim Coolong, Eugene Lacefield, Todd Pfeiffer, Tim Stombaugh, William Pearce, Chad Lee, Tim Phillips, David Hildebrand, David Van Sanford, Anthony Clark, Larry Grabau, Mike Montross, S. Ray Smith, Darrell Taulbee, Czarena Crofcheck, Timothy Woods, Wuyang Hu, Sandra Bastin, John Strang, Richard Warner, John Wilhoit, Sharon Bale, John Snyder, Mark Williams, Paul Vincelli, and Ric Bessin. Others who worked on the project are research farm technician Ryan Hays, horticulture technician Amy Poston, Crop Diversification & Biofuel Research & Education Center (formerly New Crop Opportunities Center) coordinator Christy Cassady, extension associate Sara Williamson, extension associate Nick Wright, extension associate Cheryl Kaiser, and senior laboratory technician Laura Harris. This project involves the training and professional development of two graduate students and 19 undergraduate students. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences of the New Crop Opportunities, Phase IX project were extension agents in horticulture and agriculture and natural resources, and farmers seeking information about the production and marketing of horticultural and specialty grains crops. The average size of Kentucky farms is much smaller than the national average, and more than half of Kentucky farms have sales of less than $10,000 per year. Many Kentucky farmers were highly dependent on tobacco as a primary source of income, and as Kentucky tobacco production fell, alternative enterprises became essential to the survival of many family farms in the state. This project is targeting farmers looking for alternative crops to replace lost income from tobacco, and farmers looking to enhance their enterprises by improving production and marketing techniques. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
In the irrigation study, yields were appropriate for poblano peppers grown in the Midwest, suggesting that irrigation and production practices were sufficient for all treatments. In the tomato trial, an automated, soil moisture-based irrigation system maintained yields and saved water when compared with a non-pulsed irrigation system using similar set points for tomato grown in a silt loam soil. This project will lead to new recommendations for growers resulting in a cost savings to them and a reduction in water usage. In the cucurbits project, the preferred treatment offered more protection from bacterial wilt while reducing the amount of pesticides required to protect the crop compared to the standard organic treatment. The preferred method allowed for pollination/yield similar to that of standard organic production, suggesting that excluding pollinators for the rest of the season does not reduce yield. The additional treatments found that two weeks uncovered provided a statistically significant increase in pollination/yield over one week. The preferred method led to the same results as the standard organic production method while providing additional crop protection and reduced costs. This research helps organic growers combat bacterial wilt, which can lead to 100% cucurbit crop failure. The blackberry jam research indicated that price was the most important attribute influencing consumer choice. The presence of a national brand label resulted in significantly higher probabilities of product selection relative to a store or regional brand identification. Results also indicated that consumers are willing to support small family farms with purchases if the product is clearly labeled as a product of small farms. 100% organic content certification increased the likelihood of selection by 12.2%. The presence of a KY Proud or Ohio Proud logo increased the likelihood that a product would be selected by about 5%. Knowledge that the product was produced within the state enhanced the likelihood of selection by as much as 12%. Results from the organic grain crops study showed corn yields to be similar to the average of the conventional hybrid performance trials conducted on the same farm. Soybean yields were generally lower than conventional comparisons, and wheat yields ranged from higher to lower. In the switchgrass project, the cellulose content of samples taken in March was between 38.1 and 40.0% for KanLow, Alamo and Cave in Rock. Alamo had a significantly higher hemicellulose content (37.8%) versus 30.5 and 32.1% for Cave in Rock and KanLow, respectively. Samples collected in November had a significantly higher cellulose and hemicellulose content. The heating value of the samples was statistically the same but was approximately 5% higher in March. In the chia project, early flowering lines were harvested as early as mid-September; regular type chia lines were not induced to flower until early October and were not able to set seed. The new chia lines offer good production with no fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide or irrigation inputs, and can be mechanically planted and harvested with grass, forage legume and small grain equipment.
Publications
- Batte, M., Hu, W., Woods, T., Ernst, S. 2010. Do local production, organic certification, nutritional claims, and product branding pay in consumer food choices [selected paper] Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting. Denver, CO.
- Caudle, B. 2010. Development of organic melon production methods to control bacterial wilt. University of Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Crop Research Report PR-608: 44-45.
- Coolong, T.W., Surendran, S., Snyder, J., Warner, R., and Strang, J. 2011. The relationship between soil water potential, environmental factors, and plant moisture status for Poblano pepper (Capsicum annuum) grown using tensiometer-scheduled irrigation. International Journal of Vegetable Science (in press).
- Coolong, T.W., Surendran, S., and Warner, R. 2011. Evaluation of irrigation threshold and duration for tomato grown in a silt loam soil. HortTechnology 21:466-473.
- Hu, W., Batte, M., Woods, T., and Ernst, S. 2011. Consumer preferences for local production and other value added label claims for a processed food product. European Review of Agricultural Economics (forthcoming).
- Woods, T., and Wysocki, A. 2009. Mechanisms for small producers to take advantage of sustainability. [invited paper] American Applied Economics Association & American Council of Consumer Interest Joint Annual Meeting. Milwaukee, WI.
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Progress 06/01/09 to 05/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project focuses on applied research to develop protocols for producing and marketing horticultural crops and specialty grains. Products include six new and 35 revised Crop Profiles, which provide information on marketing, production, and profit potential. Results and other information are disseminated via the New Crop Opportunities Center Web site at www.uky.edu/ag/newcrops. Information has been disseminated at: the UK Research and Education Center (Princeton) Field Day; the Horticulture Research Farm Field Day; the Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Growers Meeting (Lexington); a workshop at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, as well as producer meetings throughout the state. Information was in the form of presentations, research reports, and crop profiles. The audience included farmers and extension agents. In the first year of an irrigation systems project in 2008, tomato, blueberry and blackberry plots were established to examine the effects of pulsing irrigation on yield and fruit quality. Because fruit quality was expected to be affected the year following the initiation of the study, yield data was not taken for blackberries in 2008. In 2009, the study was doubled in size and modified using a completely automated system. Several outreach efforts associated with this project have been successful, including featuring the project at multiple field days and county extension meetings during the winter months. The first field season in 2008 of a project involving an organic production system to control cucumber beetles in cucurbits focused on using row covers over extended periods of time with bumblebees as the pollinators. A control and typical uncovered and covered organic production practices were used as a comparison to longer row covered production methods. Aphids caused extensive damage to the extended row covered plots, making comparisons difficult. In 2009, in addition to the control and typical uncovered and covered plots, some plots had fabric covers reinstalled after pollination until harvest, while other plots utilized open-ended covers. The research results were explained to numerous groups visiting the plots, as well as in a presentation at the Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Growers Meeting in January 2010. In a hydrangea project, various cultivars were planted in containers and grown in a high tunnel in 2008. These container grown plants are being treated with a range of fertilizer treatments for color manipulation. In the fall of 2009, a select number of hydrangea plants were removed from the high tunnels. New cultivars, not previously grown in the tunnels, were planted in the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010. In an organic grain cropping systems project, two primary projects were conducted from June 1, 2009 through May 31, 2010. The first involved three organic grain cropping systems. The second project tested organic no-till corn production systems. In another project evaluating corn hybrids for ethanol production, 28 varieties were planted at four locations in 2009. In a novel soybeans project, 11 varieties were planted at five locations in 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Robert Houtz was the principal investigator on the project. Principal investigators and co-principal investigators on specific research projects were Tim Coolong, Eugene Lacefield, Todd Pfeiffer, Tim Stombaugh, William Pearce, Chad Lee, Tim Phillips, David Hildebrand, David Van Sanford, Anthony Clark, Larry Grabau, Mike Montross, S. Ray Smith, Darrell Taulbee, Czarena Crofcheck, Timothy Woods, Wuyang Hu, Sandra Bastin, John Strang, Richard Warner, John Wilhoit, Sharon Bale, John Snyder, Mark Williams, Paul Vincelli, and Ric Bessin. Others who worked on the project are research farm technician Ryan Hays, horticulture technician Amy Poston, New Crop Opportunities Center coordinator Christy Cassady, extension associate Sara Williamson, extension associate Nick Wright, extension associate Cheryl Kaiser, and senior laboratory technician Laura Harris. This project involves the training and professional development of two graduate students and 19 undergraduate students. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences of the New Crop Opportunities, Phase IX project are extension agents in horticulture and agriculture and natural resources, and farmers seeking information about the production and marketing of horticultural and specialty grains crops. The average size of Kentucky farms is much smaller than the national average, and more than half of Kentucky farms have sales of less than $10,000 per year. Many Kentucky farmers were highly dependent on tobacco as a primary source of income, and as Kentucky tobacco production fell, alternative enterprises became essential to the survival of many family farms in the state. This project is targeting farmers looking for alternative crops to replace lost income from tobacco, and farmers looking to enhance their enterprises by improving production and marketing techniques. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
In the irrigation project, data in 2009 for tomato indicated that water usage could be reduced significantly without yield or quality being diminished. Blackberry and blueberry data showed that the pulsing system utilized slightly more water than a conventional system, which may limit its effectiveness on these crops. The success of the system on tomato led to a successful grant being funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to determine and demonstrate the positive benefits of pulse irrigation on crop water use and nutrient leaching. This grant includes two additional plots on the Horticulture Research Farm and four on-farm demonstration sites throughout the state. This project has led to a reevaluation of irrigation in Kentucky and will lead to new recommendations for growers resulting in a cost savings to them and a reduction in water usage in vegetable crops. The 2009 Organic Industry Survey showed sales of organic foods jumped almost 16% in 2008, totaling $22.9 billion. Phase IX research includes projects on organic production of cucurbits and grains. Expected impact of the organic projects includes improved organic production techniques. Growing organic muskmelon is challenging because cucumber beetles spread Erwinia tracheiphila bacteria, which can cause severe damage. In 2009, this research achieved positive results with plots where fabric covers were reinstalled after pollination until harvest, and with open-end covered plots. The results from the first two years were used in a successful USDA grant proposal for continued study with Iowa State and Pennsylvania State Universities. In the hydrangea project, no data was taken on the new cultivars during the establishment phase. Data is being taken on bloom production of established plants. Results from the first organic grain crops study showed corn yields to be similar to the average of the conventional hybrid performance trials conducted on the same farm. Soybean yields have been somewhat more variable, generally lower than conventional comparisons. On the other hand, wheat yields ranged from higher to similar to lower than conventional comparisons. Results from the second study will soon be compiled as a graduate student's M.S. thesis, and have shown that hairy vetch was a better prior cover crop for no-till corn than was winter rye, in part due to higher levels of available N in soils. A preliminary test of no-till organic soybean showed that rye residue was very effective in weed suppression as compared with a plowed organic check. In the corn for ethanol project, Gateway 7811 was the highest yielding variety at 233.7 bushels per acre, while LG SEEDS LG 2641VT3 produced the most gallons of ethanol per acre of the 28 varieties tested with 621.1. LG SEEDS LG 2641VT3 did not differ significantly in terms of yield from Gateway 7811 (227.9 bu/ac). IA3041 (low linolenic) at 70.9 bushels per acre was the highest yielding novel soybean variety in maturity groups II and III. KS4607 (high protein) had the highest yield among maturity group late IV at 66.0.
Publications
- Coolong, T., Strang, J., Lentz, A., Warner, R., Hoffman, O., and Wilhoit, J. 2009. The Effects of Pulsing Drip Irrigation on Tomato Yield and Quality in Kentucky. University of Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Research Report PR-603: 39-40.
- Frey, J., Suarez, A., and Grabau, L.J. 2009. Weed control in no-till organic soybean. Agronomy Abstracts, Annual Meeting, American Society of Agronomy, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Ghosheh, H.Z., and Grabau, L.J. 2009. Enhancing sustainability of farming systems by integrating crop and animal production activities: Easier said than done. Agronomy Abstracts, Annual Meeting, American Society of Agronomy, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Grabau, L.J., Oad, F.C., and Harris, L.C. 2009. Comparisons of organic grain cropping systems in Kentucky. Agronomy Abstracts, Annual Meeting, American Society of Agronomy, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Lacefield, E., and Kalberg, K. 2009. 2009 Kentucky Soybean Performance Tests, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress Report, PR-588. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/pr/pr588/pr588.pdf
- McMaine, J., Suarez, A., and Grabau, L.J. 2009. Bokashi as an organic fertilizer alternative for winter wheat. Agronomy Abstracts, Annual Meeting, American Society of Agronomy, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Pearce, W.L., Curd, R.W., and Lee, C. 2009. 2009 Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress Report, PR-587. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/pr/pr587/pr587.pdf
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Progress 06/01/08 to 05/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project focuses on applied research to develop protocols for producing and marketing horticultural crops and specialty grains. Products include 16 new and 39 revised Crop Profiles, which provide information on marketing, production, and profit potential. Results and other information are disseminated via the New Crop Opportunities Center Web site at www.uky.edu/ag/newcrops. Information has been disseminated at: Robinson Station Field Day; Horticulture Research Farm Field Day; Plant and Soil Sciences Field Day; Kentucky Women in Agriculture Conference; Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy Meeting; Princeton Field Day; and the Fruit and Vegetable Growers Meeting. Information was in the form of presentations, research reports, and crop profiles. The audience included farmers and Extension Agents. The first season of a project involving an organic production system to control cucumber beetles in cucurbits focused on using row covers for extended periods of time with bumblebees as the pollinators for muskmelon production. A control and typical uncovered and covered organic production practices were used as a comparison to longer row covered production methods. The second season is incorporating biological aphid control as well as natural pollinators. In an irrigation systems project, five treatments were tested for tomato production (standard, manually operated drip irrigation; fully automated tensiometer based drip irrigation system; pulsed irrigation using 100% of the water of the automated system; pulsed irrigation using 80% of the water of the automated system; and pulsed irrigation using 60% of the water of the automated system). In a grape project studying sustainable pest management for Japanese beetles, vines received one of three spray regimes: carbaryl every 7 or 14 days during Japanese beetle flight period, or no treatment. Treatments within each of five cultivars were harvested on the same day and evaluated for number of clusters, yield, cluster and berry weight, and berries per cluster. In a related study, green June beetle (GJB) flight was monitored with traps, and numbers of beetles present on all clusters on each vine were counted at least weekly in a vineyard consisting of six cultivars. Representative berries were sampled weekly and analyzed for toughness and total soluble solids. In a soybean project, 23 novel varieties were tested in 2008. After harvest, each variety was analyzed for protein and oil content. In a corn for ethanol project, 32 varieties were planted at four locations with three replications in 2008. In an organic grain cropping systems project, three systems were utilized in 2008: low grain intensity - corn followed by 18 months of orchard grass/red clover forage; moderate grain intensity - corn followed by winter rye cover crop, then soybean followed by hairy vetch cover crop; and high grain intensity - corn followed by winter wheat (for grain) followed by double crop soybean. In a switchgrass for ethanol project, switchgrass samples were collected in November and March and analyzed for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash content. PARTICIPANTS: Dewayne Ingram, David Van Sanford, and Carl Dillon were co-principal investigators on the overall project. Principal investigators and co-principal investigators on specific research projects were Tim Coolong, Eugene Lacefield, Todd Pfeiffer, Tim Stombaugh, William Pearce, Chad Lee, Tim Phillips, David Hildebrand, David Van Sanford, Anthony Clark, Larry Grabau, Mike Montross, S. Ray Smith, Darrell Taulbee, Czarena Crofcheck, Timothy Woods, Wuyang Hu, Sandra Bastin, John Strang, Richard Warner, John Wilhoit, Sharon Bale, John Snyder, Derrick L. Hammons, Kaan Kurtural, Daniel A. Potter, Mark Williams, Paul Vincelli, and Ric Bessin. Others who worked on the project are research analyst Derek Law, research farm technician Ryan Hays, horticulture technician Amy Poston, New Crop Opportunities Center coordinator Christy Cassady, extension associates Sara Williamson and Nick Wright, technical assistant Cheryl Kaiser, and senior laboratory technician Laura Harris. This project involves the training and professional development of two graduate students and 19 undergraduate students. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences of the New Crop Opportunities, Phase IX project are extension agents in horticulture and agriculture and natural resources, and farmers seeking information about the production and marketing of horticultural and specialty grains crops. The average size of Kentucky farms is much smaller than the national average, and more than half of Kentucky farms have sales of less than $10,000 per year. Many Kentucky farmers were highly dependent on tobacco as a primary source of income, and as Kentucky tobacco production fell, alternative enterprises became essential to the survival of many family farms in the state. This project is targeting farmers looking for alternative crops to replace lost income from tobacco, and farmers looking to enhance their enterprises by improving production and marketing techniques. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Expected impact includes improved organic production techniques. The 2009 Organic Industry Survey showed sales of organic foods jumped almost 16% in 2008, totaling $22.9 billion. Phase IX research includes projects on organic production of muskmelon and grains. Growing organic muskmelon is challenging because cucumber beetles spread Erwinia tracheiphila bacteria, which can cause severe damage. Aphids caused extensive damage to the extended row covered plots in 2008, making comparisons between treatments difficult. In the irrigation project, no change in yield or quality was observed among the systems tested with tomato, despite using 40% less water in the 60% pulsed treatment than the fully automated treatment. Stem water potential did not differ significantly among treatments at either of two sampling times, suggesting the plants under the low water regime were not stressed compared to other control treatments. Pulsed irrigation could save farmers a significant amount of water and money without affecting yield, and could save fertilizer through reduced leaching. In the grape project, Concord vines sustained little Japanese beetle defoliation, and neither the weekly nor biweekly spray regimes increased yield. Both spray regimes significantly increased yield in Norton, but there was no difference between the spray treatments. Results indicate growers can reduce cover spray frequency by half and suppress defoliation by Japanese beetle below economic injury levels. Most clusters on Foch, Jupiter, and St. Croix had less than 4% marketable clusters because of GJB feeding. Norton, the latest-ripening cultivar, had 100% harvestable clusters. Data indicate GJB can destroy early-ripening cultivars of grapes in KY if sprays are not used. NS ASGROW AG36-22V (low linolenic) at 44.5 bushels per acre was the highest yielding novel soybean variety in maturity groups II and III. SCHILLINGER SEED 448 F.HPC (high protein) had the highest yield among maturity group early IV at 42.3. In the corn project, DEKALB DKC61-73 (YGCB/RR2) was the highest yielding variety at 218.0 bushels per acre, and led the 32 varieties tested with 567 gallons of ethanol per acre. Results at Lexington and Princeton showed that organic no-till corn averaged similar yields to organic tilled corn. Because the hairy vetch cover crop was killed and corn was planted in a single pass, fuel and equipment expenses in the no-till system were minimal compared to the tilled system. An organic no-till system for a corn and soybean rotation could be economically and environmentally valuable. In the switchgrass project, the cellulose content of samples taken in March were between 38.1 and 40.0% for KanLow, Alamo and Cave in Rock. Alamo had a significantly higher hemicellulose content (37.8%) versus 30.5 and 32.1% for Cave in Rock and KanLow, respectively. Samples collected in November had a significantly higher cellulose and hemicellulose content, likely due to soluble sugars that remained in the plant and were transported into the roots by March. The heating value of the samples was statistically the same but was approximately 5% higher in March.
Publications
- Hammons, D.L., Kurtural, S.K., and Potter, D.A. 2008. Impact of Japanese Beetle Defoliation on First-Season Crop Yield and Berry Quality. University of Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Research Report PR-572: 15-16.
- Hammons, D.L., Kurtural, S.K., and Potter, D.A. 2008. Phenological Resistance of Grapes to Green June Beetle Damage. University of Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Research Report PR-572: 16-17.
- Lacefield, E., and Pfeiffer, T. 2008. 2008 Kentucky Soybean Performance Tests, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress Report, PR-570. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/pr/pr570/pr570.pdf
- Pearce, W.L., Curd, R.W., and Lee, C.D. 2008. 2008 Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress Report, PR-569. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/pr/pr569/pr569.pdf
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