Highlights From The Empire State Producers Expo
January 21, 2014 A good-size crowd turned out for the 2014 Empire State Producers Expo that began on Monday in Syracuse, NY. In addition to the trade show, the Expo, which ends today, offers a variety of educational sessions and has something for everyone. On the vegetable side, everything from beans to potatoes is covered.
In fact, spud growers at the Expo got some tips from Don Halseth, who is in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University. Specifically, he provided those in attendance with some best management practices for potatoes including crop protection and irrigation.
For insect and disease management, he supplied the following tidbits.
1. Timely control is critical.
2. Nematode presence may not be identified for years.
3. Resistance buildup to crop protectants can be very rapid.
4. Rotate land and chemical classes to reduce pressure for resistance.
In the area of irrigation, Halseth provided growers with some important things to remember.
1. Apply water before the plant is under drought stress.
2. Uniform, frequent water applications are best.
3. The potato crop needs approximately 18 inches of water.
4. Evapotranspiration midsummer often is more than 0.25 inches per day.
5. Allow dry periods if disease, such as late blight, is present.
On the topic of late blight, Bill Fry, from the Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology at Cornell, discussed the various strains of late blight, indicating that these strains have different host preferences. He cited four strains as being the most common: US11, US22, US23, AND US24. In terms of the damage inflicted by each strain, Fry said its level of aggressiveness varies on potato or tomato.
To help growers assess their disease situation, an online tool to manage late blight is available for potato and tomato growers called the Cornell Decision Support System. The system incorporates weather, cultivar, resistance, disease forecast, pathogen type, and fungicide. Researchers at Cornell have been working for years to develop an integrated approach to managing this disease. The DSS is available at www.usablight.org or http://blight.eas.cornell.edu/blight/.
Switching crops, Jeff and Adina Bialas of J&A Farms in Goshen, NY, stressed the importance of knowing your customers when determining the types of dry beans to produce. This small grower decided to produce dry beans as demand continued to grow. “Customers are more curious and interested in trying new things,” explained Adina. “We felt dry beans, early and late in the season, are nice to have when we may have fewer items available.”
They also were selling the beans a couple of different ways. As they don’t have a sheller or a combine, the Adinas were selling the beans fresh in the pod. They also dried them by placing the beans in the greenhouse and covering them with a row cover.
Either way, they were gaining sales. “This all goes back to knowing your customers,” Jeff added.
Stay tuned to American Vegetable Grower magazine and GrowingProduce.com for more highlights from the Empire State Producers Expo.
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