Recipient Organization
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
(N/A)
RALEIGH,NC 27695
Performing Department
Horticultural Science
Non Technical Summary
Improving vegetable production methods, with mindful stewardship of increasingly scarce resources for the vegetable production industry is critically important. The proposed projects seeks to find how growers currently utilize crop nutrients and water and validate these practices against current best management practices. This will lead to a better understanding of input use and plant utilization and ultimately to reduce negative environmental impacts through corrective action. A related benefit of this research is to test the efficacy and efficiency of new fertilizer and growth impacting products that are routinely available to vegetable producers but often not tested in North Carolina production systems so that producers can target their financial resources towards products with scientifically validated growth enhancement. Globally, the vegetable production industry constantly changes in response to new techniques, technologies and production practices and this. Project will identify and adapt new methods to North Carolina production. Further, the Food Safety Modernization Act has broad and sweeping impact on fruit and vegetable production, making fresh produce safety a paramount concern of growers and consumers. This project will aid in defining and reducing food borne pathogen entry in the production chain from farm to fork. All research results and recommended practices will be made available to vegetable growers, county extension personnel, and the scientific community to help further enhance the production and food safety of vegetables at state, regional, and national levels.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
1. Crop production can be lowered when plant nutrient and water management are not well managed (Howell, 2001). It has been estimated that the use efficiency of applied nutrients ranges from 10-50% depending on the crop nutrient (Baligar, et al., 2001). An important goal of this project is to maximize the efficiency of two critical inputs in vegetable production systems: nutrients and water. One objective is to evaluate existing fertilizer recommendations and current fertility and irrigation practices by the vegetable production industry in North Carolina in order to increase fertilizer use efficiency. Another goal of this project is to understand water management practices to mitigate environmental impact of excessive irrigation. The environmental impact of irrigated agriculture continues to be important as its use increases globally (Stockle, 2001). Another benefit ofFurther, this goal is to reduce the negative impact of excessive rainfall events on soil nutrients and runoff through better water management strategies.2. Testing and evaluation of alternative management strategies is an ongoing process to enhance production (Agneessens, et al., 2014; Tripathi et al., 2016). This project will evaluate new fertility and growth enhancement products for their ability to increase crop quality and yield in North Carolina vegetables.3. Vegetable production methods are adapted to local conditions based on climate, soils, and production infrastructure (Perrin, et al., 2014). An important goal of this project is to identify new practices in vegetable production systems, including cultivars, equipment, technologies, and techniques (for example grafting of Solanaceous crops for disease resistance and production efficiency) and evaluate their adaptability to North Carolina production systems.4. Foodborne disease causes an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths annually (Scallan, 2011), with U.S. economic costs estimated at $152 billion to $1.4 trillion annually (Roberts, 2007; Sharff, 2010). The goal of this objective is to increase food safety knowledge for fresh produce growers and to prepare fruit and vegetable producers in North Carolina to understand and comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act - Produce Safety Rule. Specifically we propose to evaluate current production practices, for example the use of surface water irrigation, and their potential role in the transmission and spread of food borne illness, and mitigation strategies in the preharvest, harvest and post harvest points in the production chain. In addition, we plan to enable growers to become prepared for the inspection requirements of the new rule through an on-farm readiness review of their current practices and level of readiness for compliance.
Project Methods
1. A series of surveys, discussions and personal communications will be conducted in order to ascertain the current cultural, fertility, and irrigation practices of vegetable producers in various commodities from across North Carolina at growers meetings via paper survey tools and via internet survey tools (ex. Survey Monkey). These results will be compiled and compared to existing fertility recommendations for those commodities. Field plots will be established comparing fertility practices that are currently being used by the industry, those that are recommended by production guides and novel fertility regimes. The goal of this project will be to develop high quality, high yielding produce while minimizing the economic and environmental impact of those applications to the vegetable producer.Vegetable growers will be surveyed on the impact of excessive rainfall events on their production systems, including nutrient loss, soil erosion, and adjacent impact on water containment areas (ponds, lakes, ditches, creeks, streams, and rivers). They will be asked what their current practices are to mitigate the environmental impact of excessive rainfall will be evaluated. Based on the results of this information gathering mitigation strategies will be researched to reduce the environmental impact of excessive rainfall, including decreased soil erosion and nutrient losses in vegetable production systems.2. New growth enhancing fertilizers and products will be obtained from companies marketing products to North Carolina vegetable producers. These products will be evaluated using proper control treatments in the state's vegetable production areas. Efficacy of these products will be evaluated both in terms of yield increase and produce quality enhancement. For example in tomatoes, internal quality and color of the fruit will be examined. Of particular interest will be the impact of these products on the incidence of physiological and internal disorders (in tomato for example, yellow shoulder, internal white tissue and greywall). These trials will be replicated using a randomized complete block design. Fertility source, rates and timing of application will be explored. Of particular interest will be the effect of products on the vigor and quality of the treated plants and fruit.3. New production practices, such as new equipment, postharvest handling technology, cultivars, and crop management techniques will be identified. This will occur through discussions with producers, extension staff, scientific meetings, and trade and industry representatives within North Carolina, the Southeast and across the country. New production practices will be evaluated on research stations and in-field studies on grower cooperator farms. Studies will consist of replicated trials, demonstrations, and observational evaluations. Attention will be paid to suitability for North Carolina soil types and current production considerations.4. Pathogen movement and persistence on produce and in North Carolina production systems will be evaluated through laboratory and bench top studies, greenhouse experiments, and through sampling in the research station environment. For example, water quality and its relationship to irrigation and food borne pathogen spread in North Carolina vegetable production will be tested. Sampling the surface ponds at research stations, such as the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Castle Hayne, NC, will be conducted to gain an understanding of presence of pathogens, how pathogen numbers change over time, and their spread onto produce via irrigation practices. Samples will be removed from the irrigation source at the same three spots. We will use the current method approved under the Food Safety Modernization Act - Produce Safety Rule for generic E. coli, the current standard indicator for fecal contamination. In addition, specific pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium may be tested for using the methods outlined in the FDA's Bacterial Analytical Manual.Water samples from vegetable production areas may also be tested prior to overhead and drip irrigation and before the mixing and spraying of pesticides. After the exposure to water through irrigation and pesticide application, samples of the fruit may be tested for coliforms, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium. Fruit samples could help to determine if any microbes transferred from the water will persist on the fruit. It is hoped that this project could provide preliminary data for a larger collaboration to test agricultural water throughout the southeastern United States and determine its role in the transfer of pathogens to various crops.On-farm readiness will be evaluated on volunteer North Carolina farms, through a process of face-to-face interviews and farming practices evaluations on grower's farms. Growers will be interviewed on their current practices and their produce production, harvest, and post harvest practices will be observed and evaluated for risk. Specific recommendations will be made and resources that aid in compliance with the new FSMA rule will be made available. During the evaluation, the grower's current level of readiness for inspection and compliance with the rule will be evaluated and methods to increase readiness will the discussed.