Willamette Valley

In northern states, spinach is normally planted in early spring for late spring harvest or in summer for autumn harvest. Spring plantings are often limited by the difficulty of working cold, wet soils and many cultivars bolt in the long daylengths of late spring. Summer crops must be established during periods of very high soil temperature and low soil moisture and require frequent irrigation. Some Willamette Valley growers have successfully planted spinach in late summer for autumn harvest or in autumn for early spring harvest.

The purpose of these trials was to obtain and evaluate cultivars of cauliflower for summer harvest. The major desired quality is heat tolerance: the ability to withstand high temperatures without ricing and to maintain the high curd quality typical of autumn-harvested cauliflower. A second desired quality is long wrapper leaves for self-blanching. Tying leaves must be minimized.

This report deals with the continuation of a series of tests of overwinter cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) production which began in 1977. Previous research established the feasibility of overwinter cauliflower production in the Willamette Valley and centered on cultivar and planting date trials, and the effect of spring-applied N on yields. The 1980-81 experiments reported here included a cultivar trial and a planting date trial.

The purpose of these experiments was to evaluate the performance of several onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivars in overwinter trials. The Willamette Valley appears to have a suitable climate for production of overwintered onions if bolting, disease, and weed control problems can be overcome. Previous experiments at the North Willamette Station have indicated that late August or early September planting dates are superior to later planting dates for maximum yields. With a June or July harvest, this might allow another crop on the onion ground both before planting and after harvest.

Report to the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission

Jim Meyers
OSU Dept of Horticulture

Brian Yorgey
OSU Dept of Food Science and Technology

Objectives:

Report to the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission

Jim Myers and Brian Yorgy

Objectives: Breed improved Bush Blue Lake green bean varieties with: a. White and gray mold resistance b. Improved plant architecture c. High economic yield d. Improved pod quality (including straightness, color, smoothness, texture, flavor and quality retention, and delayed seed size development) e. Tolerance to abiotic stresses. Improve seed quality of materials in the breeding program to provide greater resistance to mechanical injury and low germination.

Satisfactory growth of annual transplants can occur in soilless media made up of a wide range of components. Peat-vermiculite mixes have been popular for many crops but the high cost of these components stimulated a search for substitutes. Each geographic area produces waste products which have potential as media components. Bark, woodchips, straw, cinders, nut shells, grains hulls, and many others have been incorporated successfully into growing media. However, the price and availability of these products vary with the economic health of the industry producing the waste.

Recent experiments at the North Willamette Station indicated that, for a given level of N, yields are increased by delaying application of the bulk of the N fertilizer until the corn is 10 to 12 inches tall. These experiments used ammonium nitrate as N source and the late applied N was sidedressed on the soil surface. No additional benefit was obtained by delaying application of a portion of the N until tasseling or silking. The yield increase with split application of N could be from leaching of NO3-N below the root zone when all N is applied at planting.

Fertilizer trials with overwinter onions at the North Willamette Station have shown a strong onion yield response to application of lime and gypsum and, in one experiment, a higher yield with ammonium sulfate rather than ammonium nitrate as N source. The yield response to gypsum and ammonium sulfate indicates that when soil pH, P, K, and N are optimal, S may be the element most limiting to onion bulb development. The following trial was designed to investigate the effects of lime, gypsum, and form of N on spring-seeded onions.

Methods