Semios ’s Post

Heavy feeder crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and squash need more food than you think. Of course, we don’t want to think of feeding the plant but rather feeding the soil foodweb. But the plants still need more food from the soil than most of us ever imagine. The heavy feeders that produce fruits need .3 lbs of actual nitrogen at least. How do you know how to calculate this number from a fertilizer? Let’s take alfalfa meal and work it out. Alfalfa meal has 2.5% nitrogen. So, to get .3 lbs of actual nitrogen we need to take 2.5% and divide it by .3. .3 / .025 = 12 That means we need to feed each plant 12 lbs of alfalfa meal over the course of its life. This is the important part: you don’t want to feed it all at once. Take that 12 lbs and divide it by the number of weeks it takes to reach maturity. Let’s use cucumbers for example. They take about 9 weeks to start producing fruits. 12 lbs / 9 weeks = 1.33 lbs of alfalfa meal per plant per week. You’ll want to wait until the seeds sprout and grow their first set of leaves to start doing this to ensure you don’t delay germination. So, in reality it may be more like 7 weeks since cucumbers usually take 2 weeks to get going. 12 lbs / 7 weeks = 1.71 lbs of alfalfa meal per week per cucumber plant This is just for nitrogen, too. Usually the nitrogen is the limiting factor for growth. If this is helpful to you as a grower, let me know in the comments below. #regenerative #farm #gardening

🌾🌾 GROWER STORY Each year, GRDC's GroundCover follows a group of growers from across Australia as they manage the cropping season. Based at Capella, north of Emerald in Central QLD, Tim Gersbach farms 4000ha with his wife Courtney, their two young children, and his parents Garry and Cathy. They crop wheat, chickpeas and, occasionally, mungbeans. Sorghum is the dominant summer crop. Tim says: "With no decent rain since February, a lot of sorghum in the Central Queensland highlands has fallen over before harvest due to a good start and a dry finish. We harvested our sorghum at 2.85t/ha and SOR1 grade. It was a pretty good result considering the season. If we’d had an extra 50mm in March or April it would have achieved at least 3t/ha. We harvested sorghum at the same time as planting winter crops. We don’t normally have to do that. Most years we can finish planting the winter crop and go into the sorghum harvest, but seasonal conditions meant we had both at the same time this year. We have planted 600ha of wheat and 1600ha of chickpeas. More chickpeas were planted because of the good prices on offer and because of the dry season. We can deep plant them to access moisture. There’s a full profile 100mm down, so we had to bust that up to plant down deep. We planted heavier this year too – based on what I’ve learnt from researchers at Emerald. We planted chickpeas at 75kg/ha compared with 60kg/ha and wheat at 60kg/ha, instead of 50kg/ha. Both had 30kg/ha of an NPKS fertiliser blend. Both the chickpeas and wheat are responding and have a pretty good strike on them, considering how deep they were planted. Planting that deep was slow going. You can’t pull the tynes that fast when you are going that deep. We went at about 6.8 to 6.9km/hour compared with 9km/h. So you don’t get as much done in a day. We’ll need some rain on the wheat at least by early July. Chickpeas are on a full profile so they will do better for longer. Weed-wise, we’ve put a residual down. If it rains, we will do an in-crop spray on the wheat. We have also been busy rolling our wheat paddocks. When the wheat is three to four weeks old, we roll the paddocks to push stones down. It’s better at harvest time. We have some good equipment that we don’t want to be damaged by rocks. In the chickpea paddocks, we do the same thing, but start before the chickpeas come up. The dry conditions have also had an impact on our earth-moving business. When it’s dry, the work increases. Those with livestock often want stock dams built. That business works well with a grain farm. If it was wet now, we’d be busy spraying. But it’s not, so it’s good for the contracting business to be busy." Hear more from our growers this year: https://bit.ly/3Le7Piv 📷 Rowdy Travis #GroundCoverOnline #GRDC #GrowerStory #SeasonUpdate

Spring has arrived, marking the start of California avocado season. Our field team has 10 spring avocado tips for California growers: 1️⃣ With the abundant rainfall, it’s time to start getting your irrigation systems back into operation. Flushing the lines with sulfuric acid is a good practice to clean out built-up contaminants. 2️⃣ Soil sampling and leaf analysis are essential to customize a nutrient management plan for your trees as we head into warmer and more productive months. 3️⃣ Depending on the region, we're starting to see flower pops. With avocado trees flowering, it’s crucial to ensure fruit sets for next season. If you still need to bring bees to your grove, bring them now and pollinate. 4️⃣ Get ahead of your weeds and clean up your grove. 5️⃣ Begin fertilizing as the ground begins to warm up. Due to the shallow root systems, the tree likes small, frequent amounts of nutrients. Avocados respond exceptionally well to calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN-17). Potassium applications are also important as we begin to harvest. Potassium thiosulfate (KTS), when used at a low rate throughout the season, can be beneficial. Also, plant growth regulators (such as Pro-Gib) have been proven to increase fruit set/size when applied foliar to the tree at the cauliflower stage. 6️⃣ After harvest, a pruning program can be initiated in the blocks that need maintenance. If you have consistently underperforming blocks, consider a girdling program. 7️⃣ Planting trees is an option as the temperature begins to warm. 8️⃣ As the new foliar flush begins to push, be mindful of the Avocado Thrip populations. Getting your spray recommendation from your P.C.A. to your applicator early can help minimize any crop damage. It is also essential to ensure your harvest needs are not impacted by the 14-day waiting period after the pesticide spray application. 9️⃣ Depending on market conditions and demand, consider doing a size pick. 🔟 Keep close to your field reps to stay informed of market conditions and industry updates. For growers looking to enhance their yield and quality this season, implementing these practices can be transformative. Here's to a bountiful season for all!🥑 #caavocados #cagrown

“Cool” is key to growing cool-season vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, and cabbage. These crops do best at temperatures in the range of 60°F to 70°F. Heat can cause immediate damage to plant tissue when the temperature of the plant surfaces become too hot and cause cells to die. In addition, sustained high temperatures can affect plant growth and development." "One approach to keeping crops cool is supplying enough water to maximize evapotranspiration (ET). The process of evaporating water cools the surfaces of leaves and soil. When crops are short on moisture and begin to experience water stress, leaf stomates will close during the hottest period of the day (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) resulting in less ET and a rise in the temperature of the plant tissue. If leaves and other plant parts become too hot, they may become damaged or scorched." https://lnkd.in/gerwqe3S

🌾🌱Spring barley is an important rotational option on many farms, and more growers may well be looking to the crop in 2024 if exceptionally wet autumn weather has disrupted winter cropping plans. Fortunately, there is a good range of varieties to choose from, offering attractive yields, lower growing costs than those typically associated with winter-sown crops, and premium potential where malting quality can be achieved. But, whether the decision to grow spring barley is planned or unplanned, Limagrain UK Ltd arable technical manager, Ron Granger, says there are some key things to consider when selecting a suitable variety to grow next spring. Click the link to find out more! Farmers Guide Agricultural Recruitment Specialists LIMAGRAIN #AgriRS #Grain #Crops #Agriculture

(USA 23.10.23) #PEACHES Navigating the Ups and Downs of Peach Production in the Southeast U.S. Peach production in the Southeastern United States, particularly in Georgia, faced significant challenges in the 2023 season due to adverse weather conditions. A warm winter resulted in a lack of accumulated chill hours, causing delayed bloom for high-chill cultivars. A hard frost in March further impacted the crops, leading to reduced fruit set and smaller fruit sizes. The two primary challenges identified in peach production are chill accumulation and freeze events. Chill accumulation affects the adaptation of cultivars, with low-chill cultivars blooming early and being susceptible to freezes, while high-chill cultivars may not be well-suited to local conditions. Growers have been adjusting their cultivar choices to balance these factors, but it remains a complex issue. Efforts are being made to address the lack of chill, including the identification and optimization of compounds to break dormancy, offering short- and medium-term solutions. Long-term solutions include the development of new cultivars adapted to lower chill conditions. Freeze protection technologies, such as overhead irrigation and wind machines, are available but face economic and sustainability challenges due to geographical variations. Nanocellulose materials have shown promise in protecting plants from freezes, with ongoing research in this area. High-density plantings and protective structures are also being explored as potential solutions for future freeze protection in peach production. https://lnkd.in/gygvf8JN

(USA 21.02.24) #capsicum #peppers 10 Pointers To Grow and Harvest Great Peppers Under Cover. Anna Littman shares her experience of successfully growing peppers under the cover of hoop houses, detailing the challenges faced in outdoor cultivation and the benefits of transitioning indoors. Despite initial soil and disease issues, indoor production proved advantageous, offering consistent yields and prolonged harvest periods. Littman outlines key strategies for successful indoor pepper cultivation, including starting plants on heat mats, optimizing spacing, soil testing and amendment, weed suppression, regular irrigation, and biological pest control. Trellising methods and temperature regulation are also highlighted. With diligent practices, Littman achieved higher yields and superior quality peppers indoors, contributing to her farm's success and market offerings. ----- [AG: Growing Produce News AUSTRALIA? Growing Produce USA https://lnkd.in/gK8xfpa4 serves as a top information source for specialty crop growers seeking information in the industry. One is prompted to ponder why, in Australia, our numerous (and indeed, there are many!) taxpayer-funded representatives of the produce industry lack the fortitude or capacity to furnish our farmers and growers with regular, readily accessible and current information concerning our national fresh produce industry, while their counterparts overseas are well-informed. This deficiency exposes our farmers and growers to vulnerability, as they are forced to rely on outdated or unavailable information, significantly hindering their progress. In stark contrast to other countries, Australia lacks a cohesive national endeavour aimed at furnishing freely accessible and up-to-date information on the fresh produce industry. This absence raises apprehensions among industry representatives, who fall short in adequately and collaboratively informing their constituents. There is an urgent need for the establishment of a collaborative national platform dedicated to fostering transparency and disseminating current information about our national fresh produce industry. Such a platform would empower our farmers and growers with precise, current insights into both domestic and global fresh produce industries, thereby bolstering industry sustainability. The failure to champion such an initiative prompts the question: Why is no one in Australia advocating for the empowerment of our farmers and growers?] ----- https://lnkd.in/gH5VgQxN

Root crops are among the easiest vegetables to grow, and often the first and last vegetables in the garden to mature. Your garden may produce enough vegetables to take you through the entire year and, if kept correctly, root crops will last a long time in storage. These vegetables are great to grow, even in a small space. Most root crops are frost tolerant, and with many, the tops, or greens, are also edible. Root crops grow best in deep, loose, rock-free soil that will allow the roots to form and grow easily. To nourish the plants, supplement the soil with Bumper Crop® Soil Builder. Root crops require a high phosphorus fertilizer for optimum growth. Phosphorus is the center number listed on the fertilizer bag. Always apply fertilizer according to the directions provided on the product packaging, but because it is organic and therefore slow-release, Bumper Crop® Tomato and Vegetable Food will eliminate the worry of burning your plants. Seeds should be sown in the spring, 2 to 3 weeks before the last expected frost date. Subsequent plantings may be made every three weeks thereafter as weather permits (some exceptions apply) until the last planting in late summer for fall harvest. Planting depth varies depending on the type of plant; follow the directions on the seed packet. After seedlings emerge, thin to desired spacing as determined by the diameter of the root at harvest time. Beet and turnip tops that are thinned are edible raw as salad greens or they may be cooked. Root crops are generally not transplantable because they have a tap root. For more information on selecting and planting root crops, see our article: https://lnkd.in/eckfhpdp #RootCrops #Vegetables #BumperCrop

Agronometrics in Charts: California Grape Growers Battle Heat Wave to Save Harvests 🌞🍇 California grape growers are grappling with a severe heat wave that’s putting their crops at risk and driving up operational costs. With temperatures soaring above 110°F (43°C) in some regions, farmers are ramping up their irrigation efforts and taking additional steps to shield their vineyards from the extreme heat. To combat the scorching temperatures, they’re using misters and fans to cool the environment and adjusting work hours to protect their teams. Despite these efforts, the heat poses a serious threat to table grapes, with some expected losses. Philippe Markarian from Mirabella Farms in Fresno County noted, “The vines will be under a significant amount of stress.” 🔗 Dive deeper into how California grape growers are managing this challenging situation. https://lnkd.in/eA_ezHFb #GrapeHarvest #CaliforniaHeatwave #Agriculture #VineyardManagement #HeatStress #TableGrapes #Agronometrics

🌾🌾 GROWER STORY Each year, GRDC's GroundCover follows a group of growers from across Australia as they manage the cropping season. Lachie Seears farms with his wife Rebecca, children Hugh and Anneliese, and his parents, Peter and Helen, at Lucindale in south-eastern South Australia. Their 6000ha enterprise comprises cropping (wheat, canola and broad beans), 6500 breeding ewes and 1250 breeding cows and heifers (building towards 2000 breeders). Lachie says: "A dry start to the season prompted us to delay seeding until 22 May. We began by planting our Aquadulce broad beans dry. We plant seeds we have retained and grown for the past 30 years, which suit our conditions well. We sell them for export to Egypt, Morocco and South-East Asia for human consumption. Buyers pay more for larger beans. We sow our broad bean seed with a tyned air seeder set on 222.25mm (8.75 inch) row spacings. On 30 May, 11mm of rain fell, bringing us to about 60mm by 31 May. In comparison, we had received 250mm of rain by 31 May last year. Our May herbicide bill was our lowest on record because of the dry start. The 11mm that fell on 30 May is insufficient to germinate the pasture, weeds and sown seed. We aimed to finish our wheat and canola sowing by the third week in June. Our sowing window extends from the start of May to mid-June. Our finish is slightly later than I would like, but it will not be an issue if we have a kind spring. Wheat is our other main crop. We prefer to grow hyper-yielding feed wheat, such as RGT Accroc, RGT Cesario and RGT Waugh (as a bulk-up), which is sold to domestic dairy farmers. We prefer sowing wheat and canola with a disc machine on 190.5mm (7.5-inch) row spacings. Nick Poole’s work at Field Applied Research Australia, with GRDC investment, has been a game changer for high-rainfall growers. His efforts pointed us to high-yielding and disease-tolerant varieties, effective nitrogen management, the importance of two to three preventative fungicide sprays, and the use of plant growth regulators. Due to decreased livestock prices, we have increased our cropping area this year. Accordingly, we have drilled Roundup Ready® canola into run-down pastures to clean up paddocks where grasses took over." Hear more from our growers this year: https://bit.ly/3Le7Piv 📷 Adrian Gale #GroundCoverOnline #GRDC #GrowerStory #SeasonUpdate