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34 POSTER SESSION 7 (Abstr. 530-551) Vegetables: Culture and Management
The objective of the experiments was to compare the performance of metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps on growth and yield of vegetables. Four experiments with lettuce were carried out. The lettuce grown under HPS lamps had a head firmness higher than under MH lamps. The difference between the type of lamps on fresh weight was not very constant with the period of production. There was no interaction between lamp and cultivar. Two experiments were carried out with tomato in Spring and Fall 1991. For a tomato crop, the yield and quality of the fruit were not affected by the type of lamps. Photosynthesis and transpiration of tomato and pepper plants were measured under MH and HPS lamps. No significant differences were found between both lamps under two humidity conditions and four PPFs. Under high humidity conditions, transpiration under MH was higher than under HPS.
often increased vegetable yields, combining biosolids and mineral fertilizers was generally more effective than biosolids alone. Several studies of commercial cereal crops have reported negative or neutral yield responses to application of paper sludge
Vegetable Crops
Growers in the Salinas Valley are not able to rotate away from lettuce to other crops such as broccoli, as often as would be desirable due to economic pressures such as high land rents and lower economic returns for rotational crops. This aggravates problems with key soilborne diseases such as Sclerotinia minor, Lettuce Drop. Mustard cover crops (Brassica juncea and Sinapis alba) are short-season alternative rotational crops that are being examined in the Salinas Valley for the potential that they have to reduce soilborne disease and weeds. Mustard cover crops have been have been shown to suppress various soilborne diseases and there are also indications that they can provide limited control of some weed species. However, no studies have shown the impact of mustard cover crops under field conditions on S. minor. In 2003 we conducted preliminary studies on the incidence of S. minor and weeds following mustard cover crops in comparison with a bare control or an area cover cropped to Merced Rye (Secale cereale). There was a slight, but significant reduction of S. minor infection in one of three trials following mustard cover crops. Mustard cover crops also reduced emergence of Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) and Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) these studies. Mustard cover crops have distinct nitrogen cycling characteristics. They were shown to reach a peak of release of nitrogen in 30 to 50 days following incorporation into the soil. The levels of nitrogen that are released by mustard cover crops were substantial and could be useful in nitrogen fertilizer programs for subsequent vegetable crops.
Successful organic farming requires synchronizing soil-based processes affecting nutrient supply with crop demand, variable among and within crops. We report here on two studies conducted in transitional- (TO) and certified-organic (CO) systems containing subplots that, annually, were either amended with compost or not amended prior to vegetable crop planting. Dairy-manure compost was added at rates providing the portion of a crop's anticipated nitrogen requirement not provided by a leguminous rotation crop and/or carryover from previous compost application. In the TO study, potato (2003), squash (2004), green bean (2005), and tomato (2006) were planted in main-season plots in open fields and high tunnels, and beet, lettuce, radish, spinach, and swiss chard were planted in high tunnels in early spring and late fall. Long-term CO open-field plots (±compost) were planted to multiple varieties of lettuce, potato, popcorn, and processing tomato in 2004–2006. Drip irrigation was used in all TO plots and CO lettuce and processing tomato plots. Treatment effects on crop physical and biochemical variables, some related to buyer perceptions of crop quality, were emphasized in each study. Yield in TO, compost-amended plots exceeded yield in unamended plots by 1.3 to 4 times, with the greatest increases observed in high-tunnel-grown mesclun lettuce and the smallest response observed in potato. Similar results were found in CO plots, although compost effects differed by crop and variety. The data suggest that: 1) compost application and the use of specific varieties are needed to maximize yield in organic vegetable systems in temperate zones, regardless of age; and 2) production phase management may influence buyer-oriented aspects of crop quality.
Vegetable Crops
Vegetable Crops