Soil testing for P and K has value in nutrient management for annual crops

Adequate nutrients in forms available to plant roots are essential for sustainable crop production. Soil testing for phosphorus and potassium availability allows growers and crop advisers to determine whether a soil is likely to respond to fertilization. As yields have risen with improved management and production systems, crop nutrient demand and the removal of nutrients with harvested crops have increased. An in-depth discussion of soil tests for phosphorus and potassium and their use in California cropping systems is clearly needed. We review how these nutrients become available to plant roots, how samples are taken and test results interpreted, complementary ways to assess the adequacy of supplies and what research is needed to improve soil testing for phosphorus and potassium

Minimum Tillage Vegetable Crop Production in California

Tillage operations in vegetable production represent time, energy, equipment, and labor costs that can comprise more than 25% of preharvest production expenses. Reduced-tillage, or minimum-tillage, production systems for vegetables have been developed to control costs and optimize soil management

Minimum Tillage Vegetable Crop Production in California

Tillage operations in vegetable production represent time, energy, equipment, and labor costs that can comprise more than 25% of preharvest production expenses. Reduced-tillage, or minimum-tillage, production systems for vegetables have been developed to control costs and optimize soil management

Cover Cropping and Conservation Tillage in California Processing Tomatoes

By using cover cropping and conservation tillage, processing tomato growers can reduce their costs and improve their soil at the same time, while still producing an economical crop

"Resistance-breaking" nematodes identified in California tomatoes

Resistance to root-knot nematodes in tomato is conferred by the gene Mi. We have identified two field populations of Meloidogyne incognita that parasitize tomato plants containing the Mi gene. This necessitates the use of planned crop rotation practices and the incorporation of other resistance genes into cultivated tomato

Pest management record-keeping duties shift with computerization

Computer software has been widely adopted in the tomato processing industry for maintaining pest management records. Although computers have not reduced the time necessary to complete record-keeping requirements, they have shifted some of the burden from growers to pest control advisers (PCAs). Most records kept are pesticide use records required by law or by processors, and the legally required written recommendation. There is little evidence that computer software is being used to maintain or analyze field scouting data

Processing Tomato Production in California

Basic information for commercial growers, including climatic requirements, varieties, planting, fertilization, harvest, and marketing channels

Nitrogen supply from fertilizer and legume cover crop in the transition to no-tillage for irrigated row crops

In spite of potential benefits and positive assessments of reducing primary tillage operations, only a small part of irrigated row crops is currently managed using reduced tillage, for reasons that include concerns about its agronomic suitability for certain crop rotations. Three years of a tomato/corn rotation under standard and no-tillage management were used to understand the fate of a fertilizer and cover crop nitrogen (N) application. Uptake of both inputs was reduced under no-tillage during the year of application, in this case a tomato crop. As a result, more input N was retained in the soil in this system. The initial challenge of reduced tomato yields diminished as no-tillage management remained in place and the soil N reservoir developed. Corn production was not affected by tillage treatment. Inclusion of a legume cover crop increased the amount of fertilizer N retained in the soil over time, more so under no-tillage than under standard tillage, emphasizing the benefit of cover crops in reducing the amount of fertilizer required to maintain productivity. While acceptance of reduced tillage ultimately depends on economic performance, the results of this study support its agronomic viability for irrigated row crops