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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #114546
Title: FRESH MARKET TOMATO PRODUCTION UNDER BED STRATEGIES AND FUNGICIDE SCHEDULES

Author
item Mills, Douglas
item Coffman, Charles
item Teasdale, John
item EVERTS, KATHRYNE - DEPT NRS&LA UNIV OF MD ES
item Abdul Baki, Aref
item Anderson, James

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The current reliance of fresh market vegetable production on off-farm inputs such as polyethylene mulch, chemical fertilizer, and pesticide is economically and environmentally costly. The adoption of culture methods that reduce foliar disease and disease-forecasting models that refine pesticide use potentially could reduce these costs. Between 1997 and 1999, fresh market tomato yield was assessed in production systems representing different levels of off-farm inputs. Tomatoes specifically were cultured in bare soil, black polyethylene, dairy manure compost, and residue of the legume, hairy vetch, and received no fungicide, weekly fungicide application, and application based on predictions of the disease-forecasting model, TOMCAST. Marketable yield was similar among culture methods in 1998. In contrast, marketable yield was greater in black polyethylene and hairy vetch mulch versus bare soil in 1997, and marketable yield was higher in black polyethylene versus hairy vetch mulch under drought conditions in 1999. The weekly and TOMCAST spray schedules provided equally effective disease suppression among all culture methods. TOMCAST recommended 40% to 50% fewer fungicide applications per season versus the weekly fungicide schedule. With the exception of bare soil in 1997 and hairy vetch mulch in 1999, the production systems based on bare soil, compost, hairy vetch mulch, and TOMCAST generated yields comparable to those obtained in black polyethylene under weekly fungicide application.

Technical Abstract: The current reliance of horticultural production on off-farm inputs is economically and environmentally costly. These costs could be alleviated through the integration of on-farm inputs and knowledge-driven pesticide spray schedules into production systems. A three-year field study was conducted in central Maryland to assess productivity in the Mountain Pride and Sunbeam fresh market tomato cultivars grown under bed strategies and fungicide spray schedules. Bed strategies included bare soil, bare soil amended with compost, bare soil covered with black polyethylene, and residue of the winter annual legume, hairy vetch. Fungicide spray schedules included no fungicide, weekly fungicide, and scheduling based on TOMCAST model disease predictions. Analysis of marketable yield disclosed no statistically significant interactions between bed strategy and fungicide scheduling in any year. Marketable yield in vetch and polyethylene was significantly higher versus bare soil in 1997 and marketable yield was significantly higher in polyethylene versus vetch in 1999. Mean fruit weight was reduced in vetch versus all other bed strategies in 1999. There were no significant yield differences between the weekly and TOMCAST spray schedules. Except for bare soil in 1997 and vetch in 1999, the systems based on fewer off-farm inputs compared favorably to the conventional off-farm input system.