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- Author or Editor: R. A. Straw x
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Tomato trials with black plastic mulch, drip irrigation, and fertigation were conducted on a Lily sandy loam soil of medium fertility at Crossville, TN in 1990 and 1991. 'Mountain Pride' tomatoes were fertilized with a broadcast preplant application of 1120 kg ha–1 of 10-4.4-8.3 fertilizer with and without combinations of black plastic mulch and weekly applications of 0.64 cm of water for 12 weeks through drip irrigation. Three black plastic mulch and drip irrigation treatments supplied additional nitrogen and potassium fertilizer through the drip irrigation system. Yields were increased by use of black plastic mulch and by trickle irrigation in 1991. However, additions of fertilizer through drip irrigation had no effect on yields.
`Merit' and `Silver Queen' sweet corn plants were treated with nicosulfuron and primisulfuron herbicides at rates of 0.035 and 0.039 kg ai ha-1, respectively. These herbicides were applied either over the top postemergence or directed post emergence. Over the top postemergence applications killed all of the `Merit' plants, but did not injure `Silver Queen' plants. All treatments provided greater than 90 % control of johnson grass and fall panicum.
In a separate experiment, `Silver Queen', `Incredible', `How Sweet It Is', `Pinnacle', `Sweetie 76', and `Landmark' showed slight injury, while `Silverado' showed moderate injury 2 weeks after application of a postemergence treatment of either nicosulfuron or primisulfuron. However, the plants soon outgrew this injury and yields were not reduced due to herbicide treatments.
`Blue Ridge' snap beans were planted with no fertilizer or banded rates of 560 kg ha-1 of a 10-4.4-8.3 fertilizer on soils with medium fertility in 1990 and 1991. Foliar applications of water soluble fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were made at early bloom and in split applications at early bloom and repeated 10 days later. No response to fertilizer banded at planting or to foliar nutrient applications was found in snap bean yields or pod quality. Most fertilizer applications at planting increased plant size and lodging in 1990, but not in 1991. With the use of a rotation schedule and winter cover crops, snap beans showed no response to fertilization on soils of medium fertility.
Nine size controlling apple rootstock were evaluated in trials initiated at the Plateau Experiment Station, Crossville, TN in 1981 using `Starkspur Supreme Delicious' as the scion cultivar. Tree survival was poor with M.9 EMLA, Ottawa 3, M.27 EMLA, and Mark rootstock. Trees on M.27 EMLA and Mark were extremely low in vigor and yields. Root suckering was severe with MAC 24 and M.7 EMLA. Trees on M.26 EMLA were the most productive over six fruiting years. Fruit from trees on Ottawa 3 tended to be firmer and have more red color than fruit from trees on the other rootstock when harvested on the same date. Fruit size did not vary due to rootstock over the six fruiting years.
No-till (NT) culture has worked well with many agronomic crops; however, NT culture has been less successful with vegetable crops. `Mountain Pride' tomatoes were grown under (NT) and conventional-till (CT) culture at the Plateau Experiment Station. During the first two years of the study, both NT and CT plots were tilled in the fall and sowed in a winter wheat cover crop. In the third year of the study, a continuous NT culture was maintained. Tomato yields were identical from the two tillage practices in the first year. In the second year, yields were significantly higher from NT tomatoes than CT tomatoes. The trend reversed in the third year with CT producing significantly more yield than NT culture. In addition, NT tomato plants were stunted and roots were observed to grow laterally near the soil surface. Production of NT tomatoes following a winter wheat cover crop appears feasible; however, continuous NT was not promising.
Six processing type sweet corn cultivars were evaluated for productivity and production problems at eight planting dates at the Plateau Experiment Station at Crossville, TN. Plant size and yields declined rapidly after the fourth planting date. During this period soil moisture was adequate and temperatures were relatively cool, therefore, plant growth responses may have been attributed to day length or light interception. Insect populations and insect damage increased as the harvest season progressed. `Reveille' had poor ear fill throughout the season, while percentage ear fill of all of the other cultivars, with the exception of `More', decreased rapidly after the fourth planting date. `More' plants were the most vigorous throughout the trial. `More' was one of the most productive cultivars throughout the season and especially at the later planting dates.
A trial evaluating the use of municipal biosolids application in 1996 resulted in stunted transplants, delayed fruit set, season-long reduction in plant vigor, and reduced yield of `Mt. Pride' tomatoes. Hypotheses for these effects include nitrogen (N) immobilization, increased salinity, and acetic acid phytotoxicity. Subsequently, a trial was initiated in 1997 at The Univ. of Tennessee Plateau Experiment Station near Crossville to evaluate the effect of timing of biosolid application on `Mt. Fresh' tomato plant growth and fruit yield. Treatments included an inorganic control consisting of 134, 67, and 67 kg·ha-1 N, P2O5, and K2O, respectively and a municipal biosolid at a rate of 168 kg·ha-1 N applied at transplanting, 2 months prior to transplanting, or 3 months prior to transplanting. The rationale for these treatments is that time would allow for mineralization of N and leaching of salts and/or acetic acid. Stunting of transplants was observed in all treatments receiving applications of municipal biosolids, with the degree of stunting increasing as length of delay decreased. Marketable and total yields were not influenced by treatment. Municipal biosolids applied at transplanting resulted in the greatest fruiting delays and increased the amount of blossom end rot observed. Plants receiving inorganic fertilization produced the highest percentage of cracked and rotten fruit. Recommendations for municipal biosolid use include applying a rate based on N in the fall prior to production or applying a rate based on phosphorus with supplemental inorganic N in the spring.
Production of witloof chicory (Cichorium intybus) roots for chicons or for inulin is typically a northern U. S. or European enterprise. Although chicons (Belgian endive) command a high market price, nearly all are imported from Europe. If appropriate cultivars and optimum summer growing conditions can be identified, Tennessee's mild winters may permit relatively low cost forcing techniques. Studies with these objectives were initiated in 1992 at two locations using six cultivars, two planting dates and two within row plant densities. Root yields varied from 13 to 40 Mg·ha-1 between locations and among cultivars. Incidence of bolting was greater than 50% for the earliest maturing cultivar, `Daliva', but less than 5% for the late maturing cultivar, `Rinof', at the warmer experimental site (Knoxville, elev. 251m). No bolting of any cultivar occurred at the cooler experimental site (Crossville, elev. 549m). Data on yield and quality of forced chicons and nitrate content of edible leaf tissue will be presented.
The protocol for agent training has always been for extension specialists to train agents within the same state in each aspect of agriculture. However, with ubiquitous cutbacks among universities, and extension in particular, it is no longer feasible for every state to provide expertise in each field. Consequently, agents cannot receive training in some specialized fields. With a partnership agreement from the USDA Risk Management Agency, the Greenhouse Tomato Short Course in Jackson, Miss., provided training for five to seven agents from each state in the region: Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Funding was made available to cover travel expenses, registration, and a resource notebook for 25 agents. As a result, these agents took part in 3 days of intensive training seminars, as well as a 1-day tour of greenhouses. Invited speakers from around the United States spoke to these agents, as well as current and prospective commercial growers from all over the United States. Topics included basics of producing a commercial crop of hydroponic greenhouse tomatoes, budget for establishing and operating a greenhouse business, marketing and promotion, principles of risk management, pest and disease identification and management, grower's point of view, heating, cooling, and ventilation of greenhouses, new technologies, diagnostics, recent research in greenhouse production, and alternative crops (lettuce, peppers, mini-cucumbers, galia melons, baby squash) for the greenhouse. With this training, agents from throughout the south-central region returned to their offices with the skills to assist growers in their counties to succeed in the hydroponic greenhouse tomato business. Complete information on the short course can be found at www.greenhousetomatosc.com.
Tomatoes and sweet corn grew and produced equally well under no-tillage and conventional tillage methods in 1989. Simulated rainfall was applied through an overhead irrigation system four times during the growing period with 2.8 cm of water applied during each event. Total solids in collected runoff water were higher with conventional tillage than with no-tillage. Residue levels of atrazine, metolachlor, mancozeb, esfenvalerate, metribuzin, and metalaxyl and concentrations of N, P, and K in runoff water were determined and varied with runoff event, pesticide, nutrient, crop, and tillage method.