There is increasing evidence of the contribution of irrigation water in the contamination of produce leading to subsequent outbreaks of foodborne illness. This is a particular risk in the production of leafy vegetables that will be eaten raw without cooking. Retailers selling leafy vegetables are increasingly targeting zero-risk production systems and the associated requirements for irrigation ...

Introduction: As demand grows for hops in the Northeast, many farmers and entrepreneurs are thinking about the possibility of growing hops. Since this crop has been absent from the region for over a century, information is not readily available about the costs of hop production. This document is intended to help prospective hop growers consider the financial side of hop production. It complemen...

Fruit loss to birds is a long-standing and costly problem for many producers. We conducted a survey of Honeycrisp apple, blueberry, cherry, and wine grape growers in California, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington to estimate costs of bird damage and benefits of bird damage management. We also assessed grower perceptions of impacts on profits and effectiveness of bird management techniqu...

Fusarium wilt of cotton, caused by F. oxysporum f sp.vasinfectum, was first recognized in Australia in 1993. The pathogen can be seed borne and it can also be dispersed in soil and crop residues attached to vehicles and machinery and carried in irrigation and flood water. Infection is favored by cool, wet spring conditions and shallow development of roots. The rapid increase in the distribution...

Adoption of decision support services (DSS) based on crop growth models has been poor and yet the concept of transferring an increasing body of scientific knowledge via DSSs remains attractive. This study explores the use of the Internet and participatory action research (PAR) to develop an irrigation management service called WaterSense for sugarcane irrigators in Australia. WaterSense combine...

The Specialty Crop Industry was hard hit after Covid-19 declared a pandemic. Concerns of the future industry triggered initiation Qualtrics survey to investigate growers’ attitude and behaviors amidst Covid-19, identify new production practices cost analysis going into fall crop season. results conducted from June 10-July 02, 2020 will also be useful Extension professionals in other r...

Introduction: As demand grows for hops in the Northeast, many farmers and entrepreneurs are thinking about the possibility of growing hops. Since this crop has been absent from the region for over a century, information is not readily available about the costs of hop production. This document is intended to help prospective hop growers consider the financial side of hop production. It complemen...

Several rodent species cause damage in vineyards and orchards. Current efforts to reduce chemicals used to control rodents are encouraging development of alternative practices, such as biological control. For several years growers in California have been installing artificial owl nest boxes to attract barn owls with the hope of reducing rodents, especially gophers, through predation. Effectiven...

A five year Joint Project between SASEX and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs was initiated in 1996, aimed at improving the crop production capabilities of small scale cane growers. As part of this Project, research trials were conducted to investigate the economics and practicalities of intercropping cane with food crops. Results from the first two years of ...

ABSTRACT Nonchemical methods including host resistance, organic amendments, crop rotation, soil solarization, and cultural practices have been used to control soilborne pests in fresh market vegetable production systems. Their suitability as alternatives to methyl bromide will depend on the approach to pest management used by the grower. Traditionally, methyl bromide is used in production syste...