Water
Stone heat storage system cuts greenhouse costs
Technology developed in Thailand could have an energy-saving application for North American greenhouses.A University of Guelph researcher said the system employs the use of an underground stone heat sink in combination with solar thermal collectors... more »
Irrigation experiments continue at MSU asparagus field
At an experimental asparagus field in western Michigan, researchers and students are trying to find the best way to irrigate the perennial crop.The research being done on the 2.5-acre field in asparagus-rich Oceana County is... more »
Florida strawberry operation expanding acreage
In 1997, Jay Sizemore and Marvin Brown founded JayMar Produce, one of the largest strawberry operations in Florida.JayMar is based in Wimauma, a little south of Florida's traditional strawberry-growing region around Plant City. Sizemore, 62,... more »
Usage, population, sprawl push advancements in irrigation
Plants need water to grow, but as global demand for quality produce has increased in the last 50 years, the need to have the proper amount of water for successful plant growth has increased, too.Waste... more »
Too much water can be bad for strawberries
Water is usually a relatively inexpensive input in fruit production, and many producers have the luxury of supplying more water than is really necessary to obtain a full crop. This is particularly true in the... more »
Nematode, soil health challenges can’t wait
My work with Michigan soils and nematodes started 21 years ago with a three-year sweet cherry tree decline project with plant pathologist Alan Jones and nematologist George Bird. We established that soil pH was the... more »
How do you replace methyl bromide?
Methyl bromide has worked wonders for Florida strawberry growers over the years, eliminating a broad spectrum of pests in a fairly straightforward manner. Stricter environmental controls and an international agreement have slowly phased out use... more »
Molasses a replacement for methyl bromide?
As they search for soil treatments to replace methyl bromide, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Fort Pierce, Fla., are using one technique that sounds as if it were borrowed from a family recipe: Taking... more »
