EVALUATION OF VARIETAL DIFFERENCES, WEED AND SHADE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN SELECT FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS FOR PRODUCTION IN LOUISIANA

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1008032
• Project No.: LAB94296
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2015
• Project End Date: Oct 2, 2019

Project Director
Fontenot, KA.

Recipient Organization
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
202 HIMES HALL
BATON ROUGE,LA 70803-0100

Performing Department
School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences

Non Technical Summary
Thisproject aims to improve production capabilities forLouisiana fruit and vegetable producers. Members of the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association have expressed a need for information on vegetable cultivars. Cultivars are constantly changing and they do not always perform as expected in Louisiana's hot and humid climate. Cultivar trialshelp our producers make research-based decisions on choosing the correct cultivar to maximize yields and marketability. Weed management in watermelon systems is increasingly difficult. Louisiana watermelon growershave expressed a need for new herbicides or recommendations for herbicide spray guides to help reduce yield losses from broadleaf weeds. Bell and sweet peppers typically demand higher prices than green. However, Louisiana's climate and insect pressure often cause sweet peppers to decay prior to full maturity and full color development. It is our intention to test shade structures (proven effective in other southern states to aid in color development) todetermine if they perform as well in Louisiana. Researchers have indicated that the shade structureswork well in smallplots, but have notvalidated performances incommercial fields. We intend to test several modified shade structuresand develop agrower-friendly version for the Louisiana vegetable industry.

Animal Health Component

0%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
205	1429	1140	33%
205	1440	3100	33%
205	1461	3100	34%

Knowledge Area
205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1440 - Cole crops; 1461 - Peppers; 1429 - Cucurbits, other;

Field Of Science
1140 - Weed science; 3100 - Management;

Keywords

vegetable

culttivar

weed

watermelon

shade structure

yield

pepper

herbicide

Goals / Objectives
The major goals of this project include:1.Evaluatebrassica, solanaceae and cucurbit cultivars to determineoptimum yielding varieties that also are flavorful and have thegreatest percent marketability for use in bothcommercial and home garden production systems.2. Develop new strategies for broadleaf weed management in commercial watermelonproduction systems.3. Develop management strategies with shading cloth to enhance color development in spring season sweet peppers.

Project Methods
Objective 1: Evaluating Vegetable CultivarsThis portion of the research project will be implemented intwo of three locations, includingthe LSU AgCenter Botanic Garden (Baton Rouge, LA), the Beaumont Horticulture Unit (Beaumont, MS) and the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station (Chase, LA). Select tomato, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber and squash cultivars will be chosen based on performance results from other southern states.Cultivars will be selected based on traits such as superior yield, disease resistance, color and size. Broccoli and cabbage will be evaluated on head shape and size, overall yields, marketable yields, color, bead size, and weight. Each trial will be conducted for two consecutive seasons. Tomatoes will be grown using plastic mulch with drip irrigation spaced on 18 inch centers using a Florida weave trellis system on 48 inch rows. All cultivars will be replicated four times with a minimum of 15 plants per replication. Data will be collected on overall yield, marketable yield, color, firmness, taste, disease and insect incidence. Cucumber and squash trials will be grown on plastic mulch with drip irrigation to minimize disease and weed pressure. Cucumber and squash will becentered on rows (18 inches centers and 36 inches) respectively. Each cultivar will be replicated in the field four times with a minimum of 15 plants per replication. Cucurbit data collection will include total yield, marketable yield as determined by disease and insect incidence, color, fruit size (length and width), and seed size.After data has been analyzed, results will be published as cultivar trial research in peer-reviewed journals. Extension publications on individual crops will be published and distributed to the general public throughExtension agents and to commercial producers at Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association field days.Objective 2:Determining Weed Management Strategies to Control Broadleaf weeds in Commercial Watermelon Fields:This project will be conducted at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. The cultivar 'Legacy' was selected for evaluation based on the previous results of a varietal trialat the LSU AgCenter. 'Legacy' seeds will be direct seeded into 6-0-6 cellsin plantingtraysfour weeks prior to transplanting. Transplanting into the field will occur at or near April 1. Rows will be established 500 feet long centers on 48 inches. Thetest will be designed as a RCBD. Each plot will consist of three rows, 30 feet long. Two skip rows will be placedbetween each plot. Each herbicide treatment will be replicated four times.Seed will be planted on rowscentered on 36 inches, with approximately 30 plants per plot. Eight herbicide treatments including: Clomazone(Command at current labelled rate), Ethalfluralin (Curbit at current labelled rate), Terbacil (Sinbar at current labelled rate) and a combination of Terbacil (Sinbar) plus Clomazone/Ethalfluralin (Strategy) at current labelled rates will be compared to a non-labelled herbicide treatment,Flumioxazin (Valor at a 2oz and 4oz rate), and no-till plots excluding herbicide applications. The control is an non-treated check. These eight treatments will be applied one day prior to transplanting with a CO2backpack sprayer. Weed Control (% reduction) will be evaluated bi-monthly through harvest. Watermelons will be harvested and weighed. Total yield, marketable yield, individual melon length, width and weight by treatment will be measured. Data appropriate tests will be used to determine mean differences in horticulture traits between treatments. Results will be published in the peer-reviewed journals and extension publications will be developed explaining the benefits of weed management through herbicide use. These extension publications will be distributed to producers duringLouisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association field days.Objective 3:Management Strategies for Enhanced Color Development of Spring Season Sweet PeppersPrior to conducting field trials, a meetingwill be heldwith pepper producers to develop two shade trellis structure designs. A final design will be selected for the trial based on ease of use and cost of construction. Three cultivars of bell peppers will be used in this trial, including Flavorburst (yellow), Red bull (red) and Sweet Sunrise (orange).These cultivars achieved at least 75% of the total yield maturing to full color without blemish in the 2013 LSU AgCenter cultivar trials. Pepper seedlings will be grown in 72-cell count plastic inserts and transplanted into field plots with or without shade covers. The trial will include six, 100 foot long by 48 inch wide rows (three with shade and three without). One row of each pepper type will be planted under shade and in open field conditions. Peppers will be double drilled on 18 inch centers using a standard Florida weave to support the plants. Peppers will be grown on aluminum coated mulch to reduce incidence of TSWV and using drip irrigation to reduce potential spread of disease from overhead irrigation. Peppers will be managed using sustainable pest management guidelines. At harvest, insect and disease incidence will be measured by noting percent marketability of the total yield due to disease, and insect or physical damage to each pepper produced in the trial. Any blemish on the pepper will result in that pepper recorded as "cull" or "unmarketable". Five harvests will occur once peppers begin to show mature color in each growing season. Overall pepper size (width and length) will be measured throughout allharvests. The number of labor hours to construct and install the shade trellis system and harvest under it will be determined at each location. The time to construct and harvest a 100 foot row using a stopwatch and dividing by the number of employees working on that particular row will be calculated. This will be repeated three times. During the first growing season, a demonstration field day willallow extension agents and other producers to view the structures and to provideadditional feedback on modification. The entire study will be repeated in the second season.Statistical analysis of all data will occur along with findings reported to the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. Simplevideos will be developed in season two, to demonstrate how to construct and use the shade trellis structures during the growing season. These videos will be made available to the public on the LSU AgCenter website (http://www.lsuagcenter.com/). Additionally, a written publication promoting the use of shade structures with accurate designs, economic inputs ,and pepper management will be made available on the web and in print for commercial vegetable producers.

Progress 10/01/15 to 10/02/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this Hatch project includes all commericial vegetable producers located in Louisiana. The vegetable producers in Louisiana range from a few large growers producing over 100 acres of vegetable crops to very small producers growing and selling vegetables produced on a singleacre of land. As a specialist working forthe LSU AgCenter, Iwork with any vegetable producer regardless of age, race, sex or production styles (organic, sustainable or conventional). I engage with the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association to dissimenate the knowlege gained from this Hatch project. Changes/Problems:The only problem encountered with this Hatch project was that we never were able to accomplish Goal three, establishing pepper field trials to test shading effects on color development. This project remains a priority for the LSU AgCenter, however because of the high price of shade cloth; this portion of the project was not completed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers meet annually. Data from the variety trials and the watermelon weed trials were presented at each filed day in 2016, 2077, 208 and 2019 - December 18, 2019. The data were all presented at local commercial fruit and vegetable meetings in individual parishes. Because the plots were on research stations and at individual farms, local growers in each area were invited to the individual farms to view the trial plots. County agents helped with each vegetable variety trial. The agents helped plant, maintain and harvest data from each plot. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from each variety trial are posted on the LSU AgCenter website. Various stages of growth and results from the variety trials were also posted on the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association Facebook page. The results were all presented to growers at annual meetings. The results of the Brussels sprout, broccoli and cabbage trials were presented in poster format at two National American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) conferences. All data from the variety trials has been included in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 versions of the Southeastern U.S> vegetable Crop handbook disseminated to commercial vegetable producers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Major accomplishments of this Hatch project include: Brassica, solanaceae and cucurbit cultivar trials were all conducted throughout this hatch project. Brussels sprouts, radish, broccoli, cabbage, cherry and large tomato, cucumber and zucchini trials were all grown and evaluated on research stations and at local farms. Several broadleaf weed trials were conducted at the LSU AgCenter Botanical Gardens. The weed trials were viewed at annual field days and the information was reported to growers at commercial vegetable meetings. In addition to presenting the information to growers, two peer-reviewed publications were accepted based on the findings of weed control in watermelons and the relationship of the presence of weeds and microbial die off in the field. The pepper portion of the project was not completed because Hatch funds were not sufficient to support the variety trials and the materials needed for the pepper trials without supplemental grant funds.

Publications

• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kathryn Fontenot, J. Hoover, W. Afton, G. Stockton, M. Sexton, M. Wilson, J. Monzingo and M. Ferguson. 2019. LSU AgCenter 2019 Zucchini Variety Trial. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1568989523561
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kathryn Fontenot, J. Hoover, M. Sexton. 2018. LSU AgCenter 2018 Cherry Tomato Variety Trial Results. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1547738142612.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kathryn Fontenot, D. Lee, D. Burns, M. Sexton, K. Miller, and B. Crigler. 2018. 2018 LSU AgCenter Early Spring Radish Variety Trial. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1547673679587.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kathryn Fontenot, M. Sexton. 2018. LSU AgCenter 2018 Red Cabbage fertilizer Trial.https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1568834498652.

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:This Hatch project has two target audiences. The first audience is hobbygardeners. We always aim to provide hobbygardeners with best management practices. The second audience is commericial producers. We define commericial producers as those growers producing fruit and vegetable crops for profit. Changes/Problems:We are continuing to look for additional support to fund thepepper shading objective of this Hatch project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We conducted an agent training in the spring of 2018to discuss our variety trials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We update commericial producers by placing variety results online and on our Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association Facebook page. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to conduct vareity trials and we will continue to host opportunitiesfor farmers to attend field days to learn about our research. The next field day will beon January 29, 2019.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Tomato cultivars were evaluated in the spring of 2018. Weidentifedthreenew cultivars that will be recommended tohobby and commericial growers. The three cultivars are all determinate, produce large fruit and are recommendedas fresh consumption for local and regional sales. The three cultivars include Volante, Skyway and XTM 2261. We conducted a pumpkin variety trial. The pumpkins evaluatedfor yield and downy mildew resistance. The crop was totally devestated with downy mildew. These cultivars are not suitable for production in the Southeast region of the United States. They may be downy mildew resistant in the Northeast, U.S.,they are not resistant to disease strainsin Louisiana. We had a referred journal publicationpublished based on herbicides in watermelon production. Not only were we interested in weed control, but also interested in the effect of weeds on human pathogens. The die off rate of E-coli is faster and more efficient in fields where weeds are managed as compared to fields with poor weedscontrol taken over. Controlling weeds not only helps increase yield, but also safety of fruit that may potentially be contaminated.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Fontenot, K., D. Burns, K. Miller, D. Lee, B. Crigler, and M. Sexton. 2017. Pumpkin Production in Louisiana is Possible, Results of the 2016 Pumpkin Variety Trial. Journal of the Louisiana State Horticulture Society. 2017 12:24-28.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Effect of surrounding vegetation on microbial survival or die-off on watermelon surface in an agriculture setting. 2018. Journal of Food Safety
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: LSU AgCenter 2017-18 Red Cabbage Variety Trial. 9/27/2018. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/kkfontenot/articles/page1538081212656
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Evaluation of Ultraviolet (UV-C) Light Treatment for Microbial Food Safety Risk Reduction Associated with Surface Water Irrigation Sources. 2018. Water
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Attachment strength and on-farm die off rate of E-coli on watermelon surfaces. 2018. Plus One Journal.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this hatch project includes Louisiana commericial vegetable producers, home gardeners, and Louisiana county agents. Changes/Problems:The only problem occurring in this past reporting period was not finding enough supplemental funding to complete objective 3. We will continue to seek extra support to fulfill this objective. We did receive copious amounts of rain, but this did not significantly affect field demonstrations. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Agent Trainings were conducted. Presentations were made to the Washington Parish Watermelon Growers Association and the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes, growers associations and home garden groups have been provided with the results in the forms of presentations, as well as, field demonstrations. Data was also presented on variety trials at six home garden shows throughout the state. Additionally, for the cucurbit trials, we held a pumpkin workshop in St. Joesph Louisiana for commericial producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, I plan to write additional extenion publications and referred journal publications as well as continue to seek funds to complete Objective 3.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Brassica crops including kale and broccoli varieties were evaluated under field conditions. Three broccoli cultivars were found to outperform the standard cultivar 'Packman' used by many Louisiana producers. Tomato cultivars (cherry tomatoes and large fruit tomatoes) were evaluated. Two acceptable TSWV-resistant tomato cultivars, 'Volante' and 'XTM2261', both from Sakata Seedwere very comparable to ' Bella Rosa' (current standard). We recently lost two of our best performing TSWV resistant tomatoes, Tribeca and Tribute. Seed production is no longer occurring for the North American market so have newer options of resistant varieties is very important. Cucumbers varieties were evaluated in 2017. However none of the varieties are comparable with our current standard variety, 'Dasher II'. 2. Two years of herbicide data have been collected for controlling broadleaf weeds (pigweed spp.and morning gloryspp.), as well as annual grassesin transplanted watermelon fields. A preemergent application of Strategy and Sinbar is very effective against broadleaf and annual grasses. Valor, another herbicide, was also effective, but damaged vines at the beginning stages of the crop. Although yield loss was not detected valor, although an excellent herbicide material, would greatly concern watermelon producers at the beginning of the season because of vine damage. Both of the treatments provided much better weed control and more melons than our standard application of Command as a pre-emergent herbicide.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: LSU Broccoli Variety Trials 2013-2015 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/crops/fruits_and_vegetables/vegetables/lsu-agcenter-broccoli-variety-trials-20132015 2016 LSU AgCenter Squash Variety Trial http://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1479235248817 2016 Early Spring LSU AgCenter Carrot Variety Trial http://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1472591357037 2017 LSU AgCenter / Moravo Seed Lettuce and Kale Variety Trial http://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/kkfontenot/articles/page1504814697083 2016 LSU AgCenter Pumpkin Variety Results http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:qKQwizmqgywJ:sites01.lsu.edu/faculty/mivey/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/02/2016-LSU-AgCenter-Pumpkin-Variety-handout-for-workshop.docx+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audience is Louisiana's commercial vegetable producers (400) Of those 99 were active in the organization Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association (LFVGA). The secondary audience for this project is Louisiana Home Gardeners. Changes/Problems:The only major change in this proposal was that we conducted squash and pumpkin trails in lieu of cucumbers as originally intended. We will trial several new cucumbervarieties this coming spring 2017. No other major changes or problems were encountered. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Weheld a county agent training at Covey Rise Farm in Husser, La. Covey Rise was one of the farm locations in which the squash variety trial was conducted. Results of that study were provided to agents at the training. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All results are presented to LFVGA members at meetings and field days. The LFVGA in conjunction with the LSU AgCenter traditionally hosts 2 field days/ meetings per year. The results of this specific HATCH project are always discussed and fields toured during these events. In this reporting period, I also specifically met and presented information from this HATCH project to the Pointe Coupee Minority Farmers' Cooperative members at Lester William's farm in Batchelor, Louisiana. We hosted 1 agent training and one pumpkin workshop to distribute the information. All data (except watermelon) has been written and published on the LSU AgCenter website. This information was presented to home gardeners at Spring Garden Shows in both Lake Charles and Alexandria, La. The results of trials are also provided to Master Gardener groups throughout the state. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will write the results of the watermelon report. I willpost this information on the LSU AgCenter website and try to publish it in a multistate field trial journal. I will submit the squash data for publication in the Louisiana State Horticulutre Society (LSHS) peer reviewed journal I will submit for additional grant funds to get started on the shade cloth and color enhancement of bell pepper.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Weevaluated Brassica (broccoli) Solanaceae (Creole Tomato) and Cucurbit (squash and pumpkin) cultivars under Louisiana environmental field conditions. We evaluated 6 herbicidetreatments preemergent and approaches for season long weed control in watermelon fields underLouisiana environmentalconditions.Interestingly,this project doubled as a food safety project. Wewere able to use the melons to look at the presence of weeds in relation to presence of human pathogens (e-coli). These articles are in the process of being submitted to peer-reviewed journals.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Fontenot, K and R. Williams. LSU AgCenter Creole Tomato Variety Demonstration Results. Journal of the Louisiana State Horticulture Society. 2016 11: 28-33.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Fontenot, Kathryn, C. Coker, R. Williams, M. Irvy. Results of the LSU AgCenter and Mississippi State University 2014 Fall Broccoli Variety Trial. ASHS Meeting Abstracts 2016.