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Colored Sweet Bell And Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation For High Tunnel Production In West-Central Indiana, 2022, Petrus Langenhoven, Lian Mahorith Duron Alvarado, Eduardo Jose Miranda Oviedo Dec 2022

Colored Sweet Bell And Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation For High Tunnel Production In West-Central Indiana, 2022, Petrus Langenhoven, Lian Mahorith Duron Alvarado, Eduardo Jose Miranda Oviedo

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Colored sweet bell-shaped and tapered peppers are a staple at the farmers' market. Many small and medium-sized farming operations in Indiana grow this summer crop. High tunnels allow growers to protect their crops and extend their growing season. Sweet peppers, in particular, benefit from the unique growing environment created by the high tunnel. Planting of peppers can start at least 2-4 weeks earlier in the spring, and production can continue into the fall until the first hard freeze. Pepper variety performance data for Indiana is not readily available. We are working hard to change that. Currently, we have evaluated twenty-five …


2022 Seedless Pickling Cucumber Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker Nov 2022

2022 Seedless Pickling Cucumber Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A pickling cucumber cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.088261, -86.351980, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Nunhems (NU), and Rijk Zwaan (RZ) seed companies donated parthenocarpic (seedless) cultivars for mechanical once-over harvest. Overall trial quality was marginal due to being the first trial on a new research farm with different equipment parameters, task procedures, and responsibilities. Factors affecting trial quality were logged for next year’s trial, and include machine planting, incorporating the entire nitrogen recommendation ahead of planting, and adjusting final plant population to 30 inch row spacings.


2022 Bell Pepper Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker Nov 2022

2022 Bell Pepper Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A bell pepper cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Enza Zaden (EZ), HM Clause (HM), PanAmerican (PA), Seminis (SE), and Sakata (SK) seed companies donated bell pepper cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded and trellised hand harvest. Overall trial quality was excellent, however environmental conditions increased the numbers of choppers during the 2nd and 3rd pickings. In the future, we will not pick small fruit because there is no market for them.


2022 Specialty Pepper Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker Nov 2022

2022 Specialty Pepper Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A specialty pepper cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Johnny’s Seeds (JO), Seminis (SE), Tozer (TZ), and US Agriseeds (UA) seed companies donated six jalapeno cultivars, nine lunchbox cultivars, and two tapered 5-inch cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded and trellised hand harvest. Trial quality was excellent.


2022 Summer Squash Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker Nov 2022

2022 Summer Squash Cultivar Trial, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A summer squash cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). HM Clause (HM), PanAmerican (PA), Rupp (RP), Sakata (SK), and US Agriseeds (UA) seed companies donated four zucchini cultivars, three patty pan cultivars, and one yellow summer squash cultivar for plastic-mulch bedded hand harvest. Trial quality was excellent.


Perennial Warm-Season Grass Forages Impact On Cow-Calf Profitability In The Fescue Belt, Kyle A. Brazil, Patrick D. Keyser, Andrew P. Griffith, Christopher N. Boyer, J. Travis Mulliniks Sep 2022

Perennial Warm-Season Grass Forages Impact On Cow-Calf Profitability In The Fescue Belt, Kyle A. Brazil, Patrick D. Keyser, Andrew P. Griffith, Christopher N. Boyer, J. Travis Mulliniks

Journal of Applied Farm Economics

Incorporating a perennial warm- season grass (WSG) into tall fescue (Lolium arundina-ceum [Schreb.] Darbysh.) forage systems in the fescue belt can help avoid the effects of fescue toxicosis on beef cattle (Bos taurus) reproduction and animal performance and provide forage during summer when fescue production is low. However, little information is available on the economics of incorporating WSG into fescue-based forage systems. We developed a simulation model to compare profitability of three forage systems—100% tall fescue, 70% tall fescue/30% bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), and 70% tall fescue/ 30% switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)—while also comparing spring- …


Butterhead Lettuce Variety Performance Trial In A Hydroponic Nft System, Leah Worth, Mary Rogers, Amanda Reardon Aug 2022

Butterhead Lettuce Variety Performance Trial In A Hydroponic Nft System, Leah Worth, Mary Rogers, Amanda Reardon

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a cool-season crop grown exclusively for fresh consumption. The intensive consumer demand of pre-packaged and living butterheads in the market today has been supported by the shift of soil production methods to soilless hydroponic systems. Hydroponic varietal and fertility recommendations for living butterhead optimization are limited to small-scale growers, however. To increase understanding of butterhead lettuce fertility preference, we examined two different water reservoir fertility concentrations across 12 replicated nutrient film technique (NFT) systems planted with six butterhead lettuce varieties. No differences were found between varieties grown in either recommended or high fertility concentrations, …


Promoting Ecosystem Services By Implementing Agroforestry, Martin L. Emerson Apr 2022

Promoting Ecosystem Services By Implementing Agroforestry, Martin L. Emerson

Ideas: Exhibit Catalog for the Honors College Visiting Scholars Series

A recent proposal to enhance the sustainability of agriculture is agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees into farmland. This technique can be analyzed through the ecosystem services model, which describes the interrelatedness of natural land, managed land, producers, and consumers. Agroforestry could shelter crops from the adverse weather conditions as well as provide habitat for wildlife. On the other hand, implementing agroforestry would also entail the drawback of a substantial upfront cost. Environmental scientists propose that efforts to reinforce ecosystem services could play a significant role in mitigating the effects of global environmental change on agriculture.


Digging Into Sustainable Agriculture, Gabrielle I. Tanner Apr 2022

Digging Into Sustainable Agriculture, Gabrielle I. Tanner

Ideas: Exhibit Catalog for the Honors College Visiting Scholars Series

Between climate change and increasing global populations, humanity has reached a critical moment for agriculture. The push to produce more food has resulted in declining ecosystems and a diminishing crop biodiversity. Experts propose shifting towards sustainability to protect and augment natural ecosystem services, upon which agriculture depends. Widespread implementation of practices such as cover cropping and green manures have the potential to reduce waterway pollution and climate change while preserving the biodiversity that allows agroecosystems to be resilient against threats like pests. Ultimately, an agricultural revolution such as this is necessary in the effort to feed humanity in the future.


Chile Pepper Variety Evaluation, Charlie Rohwer, Natalie Hoidal Mar 2022

Chile Pepper Variety Evaluation, Charlie Rohwer, Natalie Hoidal

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Producing chile peppers for fresh and dried markets has garnered special interest from Latino growers in Minnesota, and remains of interest to all growers. To increase understanding of market potential, we performed a single-location replicated variety trial. We measured yield, fruit size, and Scoville heat units on harvested fruit from 10 chile varieties representing jalapeños, serranos, poblanos, and habaneros. Yield was similar across chile types (3–4.9 pounds per plant), except 'Ancho Poblano' and 'Habanero Orange' only averaged 1.2–1.8 pounds. 'Habanero Orange' had the highest scoville, followed by jalapeño, serrano, and poblano. There were notable differences in fruit size within each …


No-Till Pumpkin After Winter Rye Cover Crop, Northern Indiana, 2021, Elizabeth Maynard Feb 2022

No-Till Pumpkin After Winter Rye Cover Crop, Northern Indiana, 2021, Elizabeth Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No-till planting of pumpkin into a killed winter rye cover crop is a system used by growers in a number of states, including Indiana. Advantages mentioned by producers in addition to soil health benefits from the cover crop include cleaner pumpkins at harvest, and in rainy seasons, less mud in the field at harvest time. This paper reports on a project to develop a workable no-till system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: …


No-Till Sweet Corn After Winter Rye Cover Crop, Northern Indiana, 2021, Elizabeth Maynard Feb 2022

No-Till Sweet Corn After Winter Rye Cover Crop, Northern Indiana, 2021, Elizabeth Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No-till planting of sweet corn into a killed winter rye cover crop is not a widely used practice in Indiana, but has potential to provide soil health benefits such as reduced compaction, improved soil water-holding capacity, reduced evaporation from soil surface, in addition to other benefits. This paper reports on the second year of a project to develop a workable system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: herbicide at the boot stage of …


Colored Sweet Bell And Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation For High Tunnel Production In West-Central Indiana, 2021, Petrus Langenhoven Jan 2022

Colored Sweet Bell And Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation For High Tunnel Production In West-Central Indiana, 2021, Petrus Langenhoven

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Pepper production in high tunnels during the summer is very popular. The high tunnels lower the incidence of foliar disease, protect the crop against severe weather conditions and it extends the production season into the fall. Production of summer crops is generally high in an unheated high tunnel. However, information is lacking about varieties that are adapted for high tunnel production in Indiana. In this paper, we report on five sweet bell and five tapered pepper entries that were evaluated at the Purdue Student Farm, West Lafayette, Indiana.


Impacts Of Nitrogen Rate And Source Following Green Manure On Broccoli Yield, Charlie Rohwer Jan 2022

Impacts Of Nitrogen Rate And Source Following Green Manure On Broccoli Yield, Charlie Rohwer

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Cover crops are beneficial to soil structure and processes and can provide nitrogen (N) to a subsequent crop. Practical studies of N availability from cover crops and organic fertilizers in naive (transitioning) soils are helpful for growers to achieve desirable yield. Microbial soil inoculants (biostimulants) may enhance availability of organic N sources. We found a spring-planted pea-oat cover crop provided less than 27 pounds of N to a subsequent broccoli crop, and no impact of a commercial biostimulant on broccoli yield or development rate. Availability of N from organic amendments used is discussed.


2022 High Tunnel Fresh Market Determinate Tomato Cultivar Trial For Southern Illinois, Bronwyn Aly Jan 2022

2022 High Tunnel Fresh Market Determinate Tomato Cultivar Trial For Southern Illinois, Bronwyn Aly

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A determinate tomato cultivar trial was conducted at the University of Illinois Dixon Springs Agricultural Center (DSAC) located in southern Illinois (Pope County) during the 2022 growing season. The objective of this trial was to compare performance of thirteen fresh market determinate tomato cultivars in a high tunnel production system.


2022 Standard-Sized Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel Jan 2022

2022 Standard-Sized Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A total of 6,600 acres of watermelons were planted in southern Indiana in 2021, making Indiana the sixth largest watermelon production state in the US, following Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, and North Carolina (USDA, 2022). Farmers select cultivars based on yield, disease resistance and fruit quality. This annual watermelon cultivar evaluation trial aims to provide watermelon producers and seed companies with information on the performances of different watermelon cultivars in southern Indiana.


2022 Personal-Sized Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel Jan 2022

2022 Personal-Sized Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Personal-sized (mini) watermelons refer to fruit weighing 4.4 to 8.8 lb (Vinson et al., 2010), with 6-7 lb considered the ideal size. Both seeded and seedless personal-sized cultivars are commercially available. In the annual cultivar trial, we evaluate the performance of personal-sized triploid watermelons in southern Indiana.


Solid-Green Watermelon Cultivar Comparison, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel Jan 2022

Solid-Green Watermelon Cultivar Comparison, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No abstract provided.


2022 Dsac High Tunnel Bell Pepper Variety Trial, Bronwyn Aly Jan 2022

2022 Dsac High Tunnel Bell Pepper Variety Trial, Bronwyn Aly

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

This paper reports on seven bell pepper cultivar entries evaluated in a high tunnel production system during the 2022 growing season at the University of Illinois Dixon Springs Agricultural Center (DSAC) located in southern Illinois (Pope County).


Biodiversity Loss In Our Ecosystems Results In Increased Food Insecurity, Kyler A. Bartol Jan 2022

Biodiversity Loss In Our Ecosystems Results In Increased Food Insecurity, Kyler A. Bartol

Ideas: Exhibit Catalog for the Honors College Visiting Scholars Series

Food security has always been a pressing issue in both our country and across the world. Recently, our food security has become at risk, and one main cause of this is the loss of biodiversity in our ecosystems. Dr. Alison Power has worked extensively with the legume plants in Ethiopia, and she has seen firsthand how their farming techniques have preserved biodiversity. Current research methods focus on alternative agricultural methods in order to protect biodiversity and keep our food secure.