Management Strategies for Improved Production, Quality, and Food Safety in Vegetable Crops

Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
In North Carolina, the vegetable industry comprises an important part of the agricultural industry. In 2010 42,400 acres of vegetables were planted for a total production of 6,728 thousand hundredweights. This translated to a value of $124.8 million (USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2011; www.nass.usda.gov). North Carolina is ranked 9th in the nation for harvested acreage for vegetables. For individual crops, North Carolina ranked 6th in the nation for production of bell peppers with nearly 3,500 acres planted and a production value of $15.6 million (USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2011; www.nass.usda.gov). North Carolina is ranked 8th in the production of cabbage with 5,100 acres planted with a total value of $14.2 million, and 9th in tomato production with nearly 2,300 acres planted and a value of $21.1 million. Other specialty crops also contribute to the state's total production value; these include chili pepper, eggplant, greens, and lettuce. Production of these vegetables demands that growers be able to increase production efficiency while maintaining superior crop quality in the global marketplace. Growers must minimize their input costs both financially and environmentally. Increasing pressure is being placed on the fresh produce industry to be aware of and to minimize food safety risks at all points during the production, transportation and marketing cycle.
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Approach:<br/>
a. Seeds of new cultivars of Solanaceous and Cruciferous crops and other specialty crops will be obtained f. These new varieties will be evaluated under the unique climatic conditions of North Carolina. Yield and quality evaluations will be made following harvest. Plots will be replicated and placed on research stations and on growers' farms where appropriate. b. A series of surveys, discussions and personal communications will be conducted to ascertain current cultural and fertility practices of producers across North Carolina. Results will be compared to existing recommendations. Field plots comparing fertility practices being used by the industry and recommended production fertility regimes will be established. The goal is to develop high quality, high yielding produce while minimizing the economic and environmental impact of applications. c. New fertilizers and products will be obtained from companies. These products will be evaluated using proper control treatments. Efficacy of these products will be evaluated in terms of yield increase and produce quality enhancement. Particularly the use of growth regulators on vegetable crops will be explored. Trials will be replicated and use a randomized complete block design. The rates and timing of application will be explored. The impact of these products on yield and quality in the field will be of particular interest. d. Water quality and its relationship to irrigation and food borne pathogen spread in North Carolina vegetable production will be tested. Water samples of the surface ponds at the Horticultural Research Stations in the piedmont region of NC, will be collected throughout the year. Samples will be taken from different surface water sources using sterile containers for each sampling. Testing will include a test for indicator organisms, which may point to the presence of fecal contamination, using the methods outlined in the FDA's Bacterial Analytical Manual. This will allow for the development of a baseline for the water quality at these research stations. A simulated irrigation event will be conducted on these water sources using two or more water remediation technologies. Other systems may be introduced as companies, previously working in other areas of water remediation, begin to explore the use of their technologies on fruit and vegetable irrigation water.
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Progress:<br/>
2011/10 TO 2012/09<br/>
OUTPUTS: My program works toward the improvement of production practices by fruit and vegetable growers and the area of fresh produce safety. I focus on two important output areas for this effort. The first output is in the area of fresh produce safety and has included the development and implementation of awareness training for good agricultural practices across the state of North Carolina and the SE region. I spoke to fresh fruit and vegetable producers regarding safe handling practices at over a dozen talks and invited presentations. I spoke to similar groups about production practices at half a dozen talks across the state. In addition I continue to contribute to regional production guide publications which are made available to vegetable growers in states across the SE region.
<br/>PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
<br/>TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
<br/>PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
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IMPACT: Though difficult to quantify, the reduction costs due to this type of training may be in the area of in $10-83 Billion dollars. This is the amount lost due to food borne illness related expenses, and these costs could add up to a significant amount of money. In addition, if a reduction in the loss of 5,200 lives annually, could be made due to increasing grower awareness of risk related to various on-farm practices, this project will have been a success. Increasing grower awareness of food safety related practices, in addition to training on farm staff in production related practices is critical to reduce these estimated losses.