Dec 20, 2024Tomato disease management drives Del Jardin Fresh’s success
For decades, Juan Lopez, president and owner of farming consulting firm Del Jardin Fresh, has sought innovative ways to grow the best tomatoes. His passion now centers on tomato disease management, soil health, and trialing new seed varieties to deliver high-quality crops.
“I’ve been farming for 20 years, and you learn something new with every crop,” Lopez said. “My goal has always centered on quality, with an emphasis on how we can do things better and yield superior results.”
That pursuit began at age 11, when his father moved the family from Chicago to a farm in North Carolina, By the time Lopez finished high school, farming had become his identity. His father bought him a tractor and land of his own, launching a lifelong career that later included a decade in produce repacking before he launched Del Jardin Fresh in 2014.
Comprehensive services across the southeast
Today, Del Jardin Fresh provides produce-growing services across the southeast, guiding farms from soil preparation and variety selection to spray programs and fertilizer management.
Lopez collaborates with breeders, distributors, and experts to trial seed varieties — grape, cherry, roma, and round tomatoes — searching for superior quality.
In the past decade, he has partnered with seed companies including Bejo Seeds, HM.CLAUSE, Syngenta, Sakata, Hazera, Seminis, and Enza Zaden. He has trialed more than 10 varieties and tested 20 more across his four farm locations in North Carolina, South Florida, and Tennessee. Combined, his operations total more than 800 acres, including 20 certified organic. He also grows squash, zucchini, watermelon, bell peppers, jalapeños, and cucumbers.
“Soil health is paramount to our success,” Lopez said. “We analyze many soil samples because we understand that after fertilizing, everything — good and bad — can be depleted. Therefore, we strive to put back as much beneficial material as possible into the soil.”
Innovation in tomato disease management
In 2020, Lopez adopted REGEV, a hybrid fungicide from STK Bio-Ag Technologies distributed by Summit Argo USA. The product combines Difenoconazole with Australian tea tree oil, creating a dual mode of action that improves resistance management and boosts yields.
“REGEV is one product I lean on to combat early blight disease in tomatoes,” Lopez explained. “If early blight strikes, it can impair 20% – 40% of your crop. Thus, having REGEV in my spray program allows us to minimize production losses.”
Lopez said REGEV works by rupturing the cell membranes of disease-causing organisms, reducing chemical residues while maintaining strong disease protection. He encourages other growers to integrate it into their programs.
Beyond REGEV, Lopez also uses AVIV, a microbial fungi effective against bacterial and fungal diseases, as well as products from BioSafe and Southeast Ag Solutions. Together, these tools form a layered approach to tomato disease management that helps safeguard yields against unpredictable threats.
Best practices rooted in experience
Lopez’s disease and soil programs rely on careful planning and regular scouting. “Once we start building a crop cycle and collecting soil samples while scouting weekly, we can precisely determine the best soil health management techniques to implement,” he said.
With rising costs, improving yield remains crucial. Organic production on a portion of his acreage has underscored the importance of soil biology, but weather remains his toughest challenge.
“You must rely on your experience when facing weather events,” Lopez said. “For instance, we anticipate substantial rainfall this week, so we will increase the application rates of certain products and ensure our fungicides are applied in a timely manner. Proper timing is critical, and effective forecasting before adverse weather occurs is our best strategy.”
Looking ahead
Lopez envisions expanding both his crops and acreage, potentially adding fruit production to his portfolio. His broader mission remains clear: combining soil health, innovative tools, and tomato disease management to sustain productivity and strengthen the farming industry.
“Success in farming isn’t just about growing crops; it’s about nurturing the soil, embracing challenges, and continually striving for improvement,” he said.
— Keith Loria, Contributing Writer
A graduate of the University of Miami, Keith Loria is an award-winning journalist who has been writing for almost 20 years.
