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Processed Vegetable Production

Effect of Soil pH and Nitrogen Fertilizers on Stand Establishment of Small-Seeded Vegetables

Vegetable yields are, within limits, proportional to the initial stand establishment of the crop, i.e. the percentage of seed which successfully germinates, emerges, and commences sunlight-dependent growth. Improvements in stands should increase yields, reduce thinning labor, and may reduce variability in produce size and maturity at harvest. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of soil pH and type (neutral, basic, acid-forming) of N fertilizer on stand establishment of several small-seeded vegetables.

Phosphorus, Lime and Copper Increase Sweet Corn Yields

Soil and plant samples taken from 90 sweet corn fields in the Willamette Valley during 1978 showed low Cu and B levels but responses to applied Cu and B in commercial fields have been inconsistent. Yields and maturity dates of sweet corn in the Willamette Valley are known to respond to banding P fertilizer at planting. The yield response to various rates of banded P in the presence of high P soil test is unknown. High rates of P and Cu may be antagonistic.

Soil Acidity an Important Factor in Production of Beans, Lettuce, Carrots

These experiments in 1979 were a continuation of a series begun in the 1977 growing season and repeated in 1978. Bush beans, lettuce, and carrots were again the crops used to determine the effects of soil pH and N fertility level on vegetable yield. In 1979, new plots were established with lime rates of 0, 2, 4, and 6 tons/acre. This produced a narrower range of pH (5.0 to 5.8) than was present in the 1977 and 1978 experiments (4.9 to 6.6).

Methods

Sweet Corn Yield Affected by Timing of Nitrogen Application

Production of commercial nitrogen (N) fertilizers depends on fixing atmospheric N, a process which consumes natural gas. As world energy prices soar, the cost of fertilizer N must also increase, making efficient crop uptake of applied N ever more important. It may be possible to increase the efficiency of crop N utilization by splitting the total crop requirement among two or more applications. In some situations, application of the entire crop N requirement at one time may lead to significant losses to volatilization, leaching, or runoff.