Effect of Market Channel, Farm Scale, and Years in Production on Mid-Atlantic Vegetable Producers\u27 Knowledge and Implementation of Good Agricultural Practices

Foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce have dramatically increased within the last decade. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) were developed to address potential sources of pre-harvest microbial contamination, but certification remains low. The majority of mid-Atlantic vegetable farms are fresh market, but limited information is available about what on-farm production practices are being utilized to mitigate food safety risks. Our goal was to assess Maryland and Delaware vegetable producers\u27 understanding and implementation of GAP. An electronic survey on pre-harvest production practices was administered at commercial grower meetings in 2010 and 2013. A total of 313 surveys were analyzed, and Probit regression was used to estimate the average marginal effects of farm scale, years in production and market channel on the probability of using different on-farm food safety practices. Generally, food safety practices did not differ across farm scale or years in production. However, market channel did influence a grower\u27s decision to implement some food safety practices. Growers who marketed their produce primarily through wholesale channels were more likely to: have written policies for how they grew and handled their produce, test their irrigation water at least once a year for microbial contamination, or be GAP-certified. Economic constraints were not reported as the primary obstacle for GAP implementation in either survey. While more research is needed to better understand how market channel influences decision-making activities including on-farm food safety practices, this study highlights the complexity of the issue and the need for GAP educational programs to expand beyond a one-size-fits-all approach

Influence of weed species and density on lima bean yield and other pests

Weeds interfere with lima bean production by reducing crop yield, hindering harvest, and contributing contaminants to harvested beans, yet there are very few trials documenting the impact of weeds on lima bean. This research was designed to evaluate weeds on lima bean yield, quality, as well as Rhizoctonia solani and pod-feeding insects in order to assist in implementing a more integrated approach to pest management. Field studies at four sites evaluated the impact of common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.), and ivyleaf morningglory [Ipomoea hederacea (L.) Jacq.] at densities of 0, 7, 10, or 20 plants 10 m-1 row in the presence and absence of Rhizoctonia solani on lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.). The planting dates of late June to mid-July represented a typical planting period for the mid-Atlantic region of USA, while one site represented an early planting date in this region (28 May). Differences in response to weed competition for total lima bean yield, marketable yield, yield components, and R. solani discoloration on lima bean occurred at one or more sites. Weed competition from 7 plants 10 m-1 of row or higher, reduced number lima bean pods by as much as 40%. However, weed density had little impact on percentage of flat, plump, or dry pods. Marketable yield was reduced at two sites in response to 7 plants 10-1 row (19% yield loss) and higher weed densities resulted in 29 to 33% yield loss. The presence of lima bean resulted in 40 to 60% reduction of common cocklebur and jimsonweed biomass and burs or seeds compared to weeds grown without crop competition. Weed competition in lima bean was influenced by many factors including weed species and planting date. Weed management is important to not only preserve yield but limit weed seed return to the soil seedbank and maintain harvest efficiency

Effect of Market Channel, Farm Scale, and Years in Production on Mid-Atlantic Vegetable Producers' Knowledge and Implementation of Good Agricultural Practices

Foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce have dramatically increased within the last decade. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) were developed to address potential sources of pre-harvest microbial contamination, but certification remains low. The majority of mid-Atlantic vegetable farms are fresh market, but limited information is available about what on-farm production practices are being utilized to mitigate food safety risks. Our goal was to assess Maryland and Delaware vegetable producers' understanding and implementation of GAP. An electronic survey on pre-harvest production practices was administered at commercial grower meetings in 2010 and 2013. A total of 313 surveys were analyzed, and Probit regression was used to estimate the average marginal effects of farm scale, years in production and market channel on the probability of using different on-farm food safety practices. Generally, food safety practices did not differ across farm scale or years in production. However, market channel did influence a grower's decision to implement some food safety practices. Growers who marketed their produce primarily through wholesale channels were more likely to: have written policies for how they grew and handled their produce, test their irrigation water at least once a year for microbial contamination, or be GAP-certified. Economic constraints were not reported as the primary obstacle for GAP implementation in either survey. While more research is needed to better understand how market channel influences decision-making activities including on-farm food safety practices, this study highlights the complexity of the issue and the need for GAP educational programs to expand beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.Adalja2_Effect.pdf: 177 downloads, before Aug. 1, 2020

Pumpkin Production Guide (NRAES 123)

This 152 page publication (NRAES-123) was originally published by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES, previously known as the Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service), a multi-university program in the Northeast US disbanded in 2011. Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (PALS) was subsequently formed to manage the NRAES catalog. Ceasing operations in 2018, PALS was a program of the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University. PALS assisted university faculty in publishing, marketing and distributing books for small farmers, gardeners, land owners, workshops, college courses, and consumers.Twelve chapters, 115 color photos, 20 illustrations, 26 tables, a key to disease identification, and a glossary. Discusses groundbreaking insight into fruit set and pollination to help growers maximize yields and maintain post harvest quality

Neighbor-joining tree of US-24 isolates.

<p>Bootstrap values below 50% are not shown. Taxa are labeled by isolate code: collection year: collection state: host (P = potato, T = tomato, NA = information not available).</p

Principal component analysis of all 257 isolates used in the GBS study.

<p>Lineages are indicated by diamonds (US-8), squares (US-11), triangles (US-23), and x marks (US-24).</p

Number of isolates by year and collection location used in this study.

<p>Top: each line represents a lineage (dotted line [US-8, n = 29], dashed line [US-11, n = 27], solid line [US-23, n = 167], dotted line with dashes [US-24, n = 36]). Bottom: collection location of isolates by lineage. In some cases, map markers represent multiple isolates collected from that location.</p

Neighbor-joining tree of US-11 isolates.

<p>Bootstrap values below 50% are not shown. Taxa are labeled by isolate code: collection year: collection state: host (P = potato, T = tomato). Isolates that showed variation in their SSR profile are indicated by.V following their isolate code. Technical replicates are indicated by cntl (for control) and an additional sample identifier following their isolate code</p