Category: Plant and Soil Sciences
Wagons of outreach
August 29, 2022 Written by Michele Walfred and Katie Young | Photos by Michele Walfred, Katie Young and Isaiah Bell
Agriculture tours at the Carvel Center highlight of summer research for stakeholders
Toward the end of the growing season, agriculture research stations across the U.S. invite stakeholders to visit and learn. Certified crop advisors, agriculture industry professionals, farmers as well as neighboring Cooperative Extension colleagues tour research plots and receive updates on variety trials, pest and disease mitigation techniques and best practices that both promote yield and environmental sustainability.
Late summer is prime tour time at the University of Delaware Carvel Research and Education Center in Georgetown. At the 347-acre research farm, guests took part in weed science, agronomic field crops, fruit and vegetable field crops and nematode field days. UD’s tours provide a unique opportunity for stakeholders to observe real-time growing conditions and make strategic decisions to manage their crop planning.
UD Carvel Center Summer Wagon Tours 2022 Video: youtube.com/watch?v=wYnV9nhNq6c
Field tours are the hallmarks of any land-grant institution committed to the tripartite mission of research, outreach and teaching. Stakeholders hear from Extension specialists as well as from undergraduate interns and graduate students who worked alongside their Extension or faculty mentor over the summer.
The diversity of attendees matched the wide variety of research projects presented. Small farmers wishing to incorporate something new in their crop planning learned about specialty crops. Attendees can evaluate what trial varieties are performing well under heat stress, disease pressure and pests above and below the soil.
Tour season kicked off with Weed Field Day on July 29, which included a half-day session led by Mark VanGesel, UD extension specialist in weed science. Attendees comprising of crop advisors, farmers and industry professionals received highlights of weed management trials in several agronomic and vegetable crops. Field studies discussed included management of cover crops for enhanced weed control; comparison of herbicide-resistant soybeans for weed control; demonstration of new sorghum hybrids (igrowth and DoublePlay) for improved weed control; and impact of fall versus spring tillage for weed control in early-planted vegetables. The stop also included Virginia Tech researchers who discussed their experiences and research with drone-applied herbicides and multi-state research efforts on developing real-time weed identification.
VanGessel also presented at the larger Agronomic Field Crop Tour on August 10. Professor and extension specialist of weed science and crop management discussed control of troublesome weeds like Palmer Amaranth and Fall Panicum, and provided updates on pending EPA reviews on a commonly used herbicide and how such actions might adversely impact soybean, corn and sorghum production.
Carvel’s signature event, the Agronomic Field Crop Tour offered stakeholders two separate tracks from which to choose. One on agronomic crops, the other on fruits and vegetables.
In addition to weed management, the four remaining agronomic stops focused on diseases observed in corn, soybean and small grains, led by Alyssa Koehler, UD extension plant pathologist and her team of UD graduate and undergraduate students.The team shared information on fungicide applications. Key topics honed in on fusarium head blight in grains and grey leaf spot on corn.
David Owens, extension specialist in entomology for agronomic field crops, concentrated on corn earworm control. Besides corn, crops at risk include flowering and early pod soybean, particularly fields with open canopies, pollinating sorghum, tomato, watermelon, hemp, and of course, sweet corn. Pyrethroid-based pesticide resistance is common and therefore not reliable in these crops. Owens also shared thresholds through scouting, and updates on stink bugs.
Jarrod Miller, assistant professor and extension specialist in agronomy, reviewed his team’s research (Shawn Tingle and Amy Shober) ongoing research on different cover crop mixtures and how different combinations can reduce nitrogen rates after planting corn.
The final stop introduced Nate Bruce, Extension’s new farm business management agent. Bruce updated his audience on the resources he has at hand to benefit agriculture producers focusing on managing costs of production and understanding grain marketing strategies.
Concurrently, a Fruit and Vegetable Tour highlighted some of the innovative work conducted at the Carvel Center. The key players in this research include Emmalea Ernest, a scientist in the extension vegetables and fruit program; Gordon Johnson, assistant professor and extension specialist of fruits and vegetables, and Shem Elias, a Borel Global fellow and student in plant and soil sciences graduate program.
Their four stops highlighted new food safety research in watermelon harvest buses, new finds in everyday farm equipment, experiments that seek to improve heat tolerance, yield and disease management in lima beans and watermelon and an early look at weed management with cover crops in watermelon fields.
A popular tradition of the fruit and vegetable tours is a sneak peek at specialty crops, not normally grown in Delaware but, if successful in trials, could provide alternate crops for growers to consider, particularly smaller farm operations.
Johnson and Elias introduced their research on a specialty crop, baby ginger, a spice and plant valued for its medicinal purposes typically grown in tropical climates. Elias is evaluating whether the crop can adapt to the Mid-Atlantic climate. He’s looking at four cultivation methods—open fields, greenhouses, high tunnels and hydroponics.
“This project takes a lot of resources. Ginger takes a long time to grow,” Elias said. “So far, at the Newark campus, ginger grown hydroponically, with a steady supply of fertilizer and water, shows the most promise.”
While in its first year, the team remains hopeful that this new type of ginger can succeed as an alternative crop embraced by Delmarva farmers and consumers alike.
Microscopic soil worms warranted their own special day. Nematodes, small, soil-borne worms ubiquitous in Delmarva’s soil, remain an issue in mainstay crops such as soybeans and lima beans. Not all nematodes are pests, but the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and root knot nematode feed on roots, creating cysts and galls that wreak havoc on yields and crop quality.
Microscopic soil worms warranted their own special day. Nematodes, small, soil-borne worms ubiquitous in Delmarva’s soil, remain an issue in mainstay crops such as soybeans and lima beans. Not all nematodes are pests, but the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and root knot nematode feed on roots, creating cysts and galls that wreak havoc on yields and crop quality.
The Aug. 18 Nematode Field Tour reviewed current research on soybean cyst nematode controls on the market. Various seed treatments and other strategies were on display.
Alyssa Koehler, assistant professor and extension specialist of plant pathology, and UD alumna Lexi Kessler hosted two stops on SCN, and presented their observations on SCN resistance and the efficacy of various seed-pre-treated varieties, and shared results on the effectiveness of cultural remedies such as the timing of planting and crop-rotations in infested fields. The marked fields and handouts assist growers in making informed choices on what varieties to consider in the season ahead.
A short wagon trip transported attendees to small research plots of soybeans and lima beans and their vulnerability to Root Knot Nematode (RKN). The stop updated UD’s lima bean breeding program led by Emmalea Ernest. Delaware is a top producer of lima beans in the country, investing in 14,000 acres annually. When Root Knot Nematodes feed on roots, they create visible galls which impair the plant's ability to take up nutrients and thrive. The RKN is not exclusive to limas and soybeans. It will feed on other vegetables too, but lima bean fields are especially vulnerable.
Producing lima beans that deters RKN would be an ideal trait to have.
In her lima bean breeding program, Ernest is looking for desirable traits to cross into lines that can be released into the market. A high priority in lima bean traits are those with RKN-resistance toward galling, as well as characteristics that deter nematode reproduction and plants with heat resistance. Early maturity, yield, color and taste are also valued considerations. The shape of lima bean plant leaves is also of interest to Ernest.Standard lima beans have an ovate shape, but a less-common variety with lanced-shaped leaves matures earlier and studies indicate a greater tolerance of heat stress.
“One of the strengths of the Carvel Research and Education Center is having a team of Cooperative Extension State Specialists located at the facility which serves as the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ southern agricultural experiment station,” said Mark Isaacs, associate professor of plant and soil science and director of the Carvel Center. “These tours allow for direct and timely access to conduct applied research and outreach on field crops addressing the needs of our clientele.”
Video recordings of the Agronomic Field Crop and Nematode Tours are available, with some continuing education credits available until October 3, 2022.