Vegetable Crops Research

1
Vegetable Crops Research and Extension Programs
Georgia ranks 4th in the U.S. in vegetable
production The farm gate value of vegetables in
2001 in Georgia was 634 million 7.24 of
total farm gate value
2
Darbie Granberry
3
On-Farm Food Safety Is a High Priority Among
Produce Growers and Buyers

• Significant increases in the number of produce
  associated foodborne disease outbreaks in the
  U.S.
• Produce associated outbreaks per year more than
  doubled from 1973-1987 and 1988-1998

4
Why Should We Care?

• Every year foodborne illnesses result in an
  estimated
• 76 million cases of foodborne illness.
• 325,000 people hospitalized for foodborne
  illness.
• 5,200 needless deaths each year.
• Economic losses between 10-83 billion dollars.

5
Produce Related Outbreaks Cases per Outbreak,
1973 - 1997
Mean ill / outbreak
70's
80's
90's
6
Georgia Collaborated with 15 Other States To
Provide In-State and Regional On-Farm Food Safety
Programming

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Kansas

• Michigan
• Missouri
• New Jersey
• New York
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

7
Georgias On-Farm Food Safety Program
Departments of Horticulture and Food Science

• Developed Food Safety resource materials
• Provided Food Safety training for agents/growers
• In cooperation with GFVGA and Ga. Dept. Ag,
  developed and implemented a Food Safety
  Certification Program.
• PROGRAM NEEDS to expand program to
  include Food Security/Bio-Terrorism

8
Terry Kelley
(Other photo unavailable)
9
Vegetable Variety Evaluation
Conducts commercial variety trials on over 15
different vegetable crops produced in GA.
10
Vegetable Production Problem Solving
Works with an interdisciplinary team of
specialists to help commercial vegetable
growers solve problems associated with production
and remain profitable and competitive.
11
Commercial Grower County Agent Educational Prog
ramming
Coordinates in-service agent trainings, conducts
county and statewide educational programs and
produces educational materials for agents and
growers in commercial vegetables.
12
Harris Moran Showcase Trials
Conducts one of two trials in the nation for
Harris Moran Seed Company to showcase their
varieties to dealers and growers all over the
Southeast.
13
Applied Research Studies on Vegetable Culture
Conducts applied research studies on vegetable
cultural practices, plant growth regulators and
vegetable fertility.
14
George Boyhan has a tough job, but someone has
to do it.
15
Onion Variety Trials
16
Direct Seeding-Closeup of Singulating Filmcoat
Plus Coated Seed
17
Onion Fertility Studies
18
Watermelon Variety Trials
19
Cantaloupe Variety Trials
20
Center for Research and Education
21
Sharad Phatak
22
Sustainable Vegetable Production Systems
Research emphasis is on growing vegetables in
conservation tillage with strip-killed and
strip-tilled cover crops. These production
systems helps reduce fertilizer use. Use of
insecticides, fungicides and nematicides is also
reduced or eliminated. Weed management strategies
are changed depending on weed pressure, changes
in weed growth patterns and shift in weed
populations. Ultimate objective is to reduce
off-farm inputs and reduce cost of production to
make farming profitable. Over sixty cover crops
have been evaluated. Rye and crimson clover were
found to be most suitable in sustainable
vegetable cropping systems. These systems have
been introduced to the growers. Growers have
grown southern peas, lima beans, snap beans,
watermelons, cucumbers and squash with reduced
inputs. Long-term research objective is to fine
tune these systems for use with all crops in all
farming operations
23
Eggplants in Strip-Killed and Strip-Tilled
Crimson Clover
24
Tomatoes in Strip-Killed and Strip-Tilled
Crimson Clover
25
Evaluation of Cover Crops
26
Vegetables Produced with Cover Crops and
Conservation Tillage in Research Plots with
Total Systems Approach
Tomatoes Peppers Eggplants Snap beans Lima
beans Southern peas Cucumbers Cantaloupes Waterme
lons Cabbage Broccoli Cauliflower Sweet Corn
Carrots Squash (Zucchini, Yellow)
Onions
Note No insecticides, fungicides and
nematicides were needed and or applied.
Fertilizer use was reduced up to 50 .
27
Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez
28
Juan C. Díaz-Pérez
Research area Vegetable production and
physiology (solanaceous crops and onion)
Plasticulture Compost utilization
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33
Bill Randle
34
Onion Breeding Low flavor intensity, granex-type
onions
35
Understanding Sulfur/(Selenium) Metabolism in
Allium and Brassica
36
Sulfur movement through the flavor biosynthetic
pathway is highly dynamic
37
Field Distribution of Onion Flavor
38
Precision Farming of Onions Put into Practice
39
Stan Kays
(Other photo unavailable)
40
(No Transcript)
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)
43
Identities of the Three Attractants
44
Sweetpotato Storage Root Surface Wax Chemistry
45
Sweetpotato Root Surface Wax
46
(No Transcript)
47
(No Transcript)
48
Al Purvis
49
Vidalia onion producing area
50
Vidalia Onions

• 80 million
• 5 million units produced
• 2.4 million units stored in CA (3 O2 5
  CO2)
• 10 - 70 losses primarily due to Botrytis
  allii

51
Botrytis allii
52
(No Transcript)
53
(No Transcript)
54
10 CO2 in air
Air
Translucent scale
Botrytis allii
55
(No Transcript)
56
Peggy Ozias-Akins is out standing in her field.
57
Peanut Tissue Culture and Regeneration
Explant
Growth in Tissue Culture
Regeneration
Medium
embryogenesis
58
Transformation Cycle

3-6
months
3 months
5 months
3 months
59
TRAITS OF INTEREST
Resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt
Virus Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination (Insec
t resistance and antifungal genes) Reduction of
Allergen Content
60
Example of Transgene Research Tomato Spotted
Wilt Virus (TSWV) and Pathogen-derived Resistance
N-gene from TSWV
Full-length N
866 bp N
nos
35S
61
(No Transcript)
62
Representative symptoms of TSWV infection of
peanut after mechanical inoculation non-transgenic
(left) and transgenic (containing N-gene right)
63
Field Test, 2001 Tifton, GA
Transgenic MARC I
Non-Transgenic MARC I