Category: Blogs

Soil to Substrate: Key Irrigation and Fertigation Ideas for Long Cane Raspberries

Posted on | by Josh Mays

The Comparison

Traditional soil production for soft fruit crops is a buffered system that is slow to change, whether good or bad. Fertigation mistakes in a traditional soil system isn’t necessarily going to be detrimental, or result is major pH or nutrient changes. For the same reasons, soil deficiencies or incorrect pH ranges are more difficult to correct in traditional systems.

The difference in a substrate system is significant. It is a low volume potted container area that is essentially fed by an IV nutrient solution, so fertigation changes can result in major nutrient or pH shifts within a matter of hours. So, this situation is both good and bad – you can correct your mistakes very quickly and you can make mistakes very quickly. Think of substrate as a high risk, high reward type system where your attention to detail is very important.

Moving forward with those differences in growing systems pointed out let’s lay out some key ideas for growing.

Substrate System
Soil System under Polytunnel

Plant Nutrition and PH

Starting with the right pH is key in a soil system for berries, or you’ll be fighting it all season long, but impact in season is minimal with the right fertility program. Most soil systems are high volume of fertilizers and water, with low frequency of runs for irrigation and fertigation. Fertility in soil systems are referred to in terms of pounds per acre. The southeast typically has programs of 150-30-200#/acre NPK with 30-50# S and 40-50# Ca. Fertigation is supplied commonly with potassium nitrate/calcium nitrate/UAN style blends (a 5-1-7 with 2% Ca for example). We do a lot of these type blends in traditional soil production of soft fruit, with sulfur being supplied as a supplement.

In a substrate system, the program is the opposite of a soils system. Low volume and high frequency systems run typically for 2-3 minutes at a time 20-30 times daily. Fertigation is driven by PPM (parts per million) to target crops by each stage every irrigation cycle. Fertility isn’t driven by pounds of nutrient applied per acre, but crop demand of a balanced nutrient solution based on irrigation needs. It is also critical to realize that rapid pH manipulation is possible through water treatment and fertilizer selection. Just think about the size of the pot and the tight area the plant is in. So, as a grower, you have to re-calibrate yourself in this type of system to be more targeted and understand how quickly changes can be made.

Water Quality

Water quality is the first factor in determining a proper nutrient and irrigation plan for a substrate crop. Well, municipal, and surface water is variable and should be regularly tested for pH, EC, and iron. Managing pH is very important particularly in substrate systems as highlighted earlier. Making assumptions about your source water can lead to big mistakes, test first.

Injection Systems and Fertilizer Sources

When you look at injection systems to create a fertility base like we’ve been discussing it is generally a two-stage injection system that will allow growers to run one tank that is calcium based and another being sulfur based. Calcium and sulfur don’t play nice as fertilizer concentrates, so this split is the most natural way to begin your fertility program. Both tanks can be run as a diluted mix simultaneously, pending quality and dilution rate.

Nutrient form matters! The form you choose to use can have a large impact on your pH (especially nitrogen). Water-soluble blends are the recommended best option for a substrate system due to the ability for customization. Drip grade liquid fertilizers are an option with reduced labor, but it can’t be customized as much, as the scale for drip fertigation is much larger and is made in greater quantities typically. There are many options to find the same end goal for nutrition, as long as the product form/ratios are correct.

Last Thoughts

There are a lot of factors that need to be monitored in both substrate and soil systems. You can go from a very simple, labor intensive style to monitor pH, water quality, nutrients, and E/C which does work or you can start adding layers of sensors and automation. To learn more you can reach out to our team and they can help you research solutions that will work best for you and your substrate production needs.

The Importance of Irrigation in Pecan Production

Posted on | by triestag1

Three of the most important factors in pecan production are: Water, Water and Water!

Pecan trees have high water requirements, as much as 350 gallons per tree per day for mature trees.  In addition, they have been shown to take most of the water they require from the upper 32 inches of the soil profile for normal seasonal growth. The deeper the trees have to reach for available water the more energy they use to obtain it. If ground water levels are very low the pecan trees will go into “survival mode” and divert their energy from developing leaves and nuts to simply surviving the drought stress.

Adequate soil moisture is important at the beginning of the season to stimulate strong, vigorous growth, from bloom through shell hardening for nut size, and during the nut filling stage for better overall nut quality. At the end of the season it is important to prevent shuck split, early nut drop, and low energy reserves.

One of our customers once said “I’ve never made money trying to save money”.  In other words, you have to spend money on the things that can make you money.  When it comes to pecan production, one of the best investments you can make is the installation of an irrigation system.  It is the best way to ensure that adequate soil moisture is available when the trees need it. 

There are several types of systems to choose from including solid-set sprinklers, micro jets, punch in emitters, and drip tubing.  No matter which type of system you choose, it is important that an irrigation schedule be developed based on the type of system and soil type that will meet the water needs of the trees.

Micro-jets, emitters, and drip tubing are the most common types of irrigation systems currently being installed for pecan orchards.  Some of the advantages these system types have over more traditional solid-set sprinklers are:

  • Minimal evaporation/water loss since water would be discharged at or below ground level.
  • Lower pressure requirements.
  • Ability to maintain more constant soil moisture levels.
  • Irrigation can be applied during mechanical operations.
  • Fertilizer and other chemicals can be applied through the system.
  • Systems are readily adapted to automatic controls.
  • More efficient and uniform application of water.

A properly designed irrigation system coupled with a proper watering schedule can prevent drought stress, boost crop yields, and improve quality.

Contact us your local TriEst Ag Group location about designing your irrigation system today. https://triestag.com/contact-us/

References:

Wells, M.L., Harrison, K.A. 2006. Cultural Management of Commercial Pecan Orchards (B 1304) UGA Extension

Harrison, K.A. 2009. Drip Irrigation in Pecans (B936) UGA Extension

Happy National Ag Day!

Posted on | by triestag1

We’re proudly celebrating this year’s National Ag Day. Farmers and our ag communities are the backbone of our country. So much of what we eat, use, or wear every day is provided by agriculture.

We at TriEst Ag Group, a TriCal Group company, celebrate our farmers and are proud to be helping to create sustainable ag practices. We believe in functional sustainability and we define functional sustainability as helping growers reach both their financial and regenerative agriculture goals. It all starts with healthy soil.

Healthy soils lead to healthier plants that produce higher quality harvests. Ground-breaking information and new studies can be found at our new AgHub. https://tricalgroup.com/aghub/

So today let’s all celebrate agriculture and thank all of the people who work hard to feed the world, look after crops and livestock, and contribute to agricultural production. 

Green Beans: Low Rate Fumigation Trial

Posted on | by Josh Mays
Green Beans

Building off of our traditional success in tobacco and our more recent watermelon results in 2020-2021, we wanted to trial our low rate system in another crop that fit the specifications outlined earlier; 60-120 day crop, high value, not currently being fumigated as a standard practice. An opportunity was found in Florida with fresh market green beans. After reviewing the economics of green bean production in this region and considering the chloropicrin rate ranges we had seen increased vigor/yields in other crops, the following protocol was set for the trial:

  • Evaluate 85# broadcast (25# BER) and 130# broadcast (40# BER) on fresh market green bean
  • Fumigation was applied bare-ground with a single application shank at a 6” depth while stacking a 12” bed at application. The grower followed this by double bedding immediately following the fumigation pass to increase stack from 12” to 15-18”, resulting in a final application depth of 21-24”. At planting, the bed is knocked down to an 8-10” pressed bed that’s prepared for direct seeding. This results in seed being planted directly into the fumigated zone.

The results of this study were very successful. The crop vigor and uniformity were significantly better in fumigated treatments and had a direct correlation to rate. Both rates resulted in better seed germination, larger root systems, uniform plant populations and enhanced growth versus non-fumigated. Yield results were the following:

The results of this study are quite drastic, but this work was done in a heavily cropped system in tight rotations.  This project was in the third rotation of green bean on this farm, with no previous fumigation on that specific crop and grower standard yields were below average. With that said, we’ve drawn the following conclusions and thoughts:

  • Chloropicrin has the potential to maintain higher than average yields in multiple cropping cycles of green bean
  • Consistent emergence and uniform growth resulted in more yield bearing plants per acre and harvest efficiency
  • Future projects will focus on fresh rotations in both Fall and Spring, to determine ideal timing of applications and efficient use of Chloropicrin

We hope you continue with us on our low rate trial journey. Sign-up for our blogs today to keep up.

To learn more about what soil fumigation can do in your fields contact a sales rep in your area by clicking here.

Potato School On Demand

Posted on | by Chad Hutchinson

The 3rd annual TriCal Group Potato School was a success! We hope you were able to attend the live event that happened on Tuesday, December 13th and interact with our amazing lineup of speakers. If you weren’t able to attend or would like to revisit some of the great content from the school you can now. We have all of the presentations on video available for viewing ON DEMAND today.

Go to https://strikefumigants.com/potato-school-on-demand/ today and sign-up to view them.

PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE:

Dr. Gary Secor
North Dakota State University Professor Plant Pathology Department:
AN OVERVIEW OF SOIL BORNE DISEASES IN POTATOES, WITH A FOCUS ON THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT OF FUSARIUM AND RHIZOCTONIA

Dr. Steve Culman
Washington State University’s Soil Health Endowed Chair:
HOW TO OPTIMIZE CROP SUSTAINABILITY AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN POTATO SYSTEMS

Dr. Chad Hutchinson
TriCal Group Global Director Potato Research and Market Support:
FUNCTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY: USING THE STRIKE SYSTEM TO REACH BOTH YOUR FINANCIAL AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE GOALS

Grower Panel
Josh Dreise, Fair Valley Produce – Fresh Market Potatoes
Nathan McClain, Floydd Farms – Processing Potatoes

Dr. Randy Huckaba
Teleos Ag Solutions Director of Product R&D:
TELONE® FLEXIBILITY IN POTATO PRODUCTION

Jonathan Vink
Sales And Service at Douglas Agricultural Services Inc.:
THE STRIKE SYSTEM – HOW TO GET STRIKE IN THE GROUND: EQUIPMENT, SOIL PREPARATION, AND NUTS & BOLTS OF SOIL FUMIGATION LOGISTICS

Tree & Vine School Re-Cap

Posted on | by triestag1

The first annual TriCal Group Tree and Vine School was a success. If you were able to attend the day of the event, Thursday – November 10th, we thank you! If you weren’t able to attend, then you can still check out all of the great speaker presentations.

The presentations are available on demand now. Go to https://triclorfumigants.com/tree-vine-school-on-demand/ and sign-up to view them today.

Presentations available:

Dr. Greg Browne, Research Plant Pathologist, University of California, Davis:

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CAUSES AND PRACTICAL CONTROL MEASURES FOR PRUNUS REPLANT DISEASE (PRD), THAT CAUSES STUNTING AND REPLANT FAILURE IN ALMOND, PEACH, AND OTHER SPECIES OF PRUNUS

Dr. Kristi Sanchez, TriCal Diagnostics Senior Researcher and Nematologist:

A DIVE INTO THE TOP 3 MOST HARMFUL PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS, RESULTING IN REDUCED PLANT VIGOR AND CROP YIELD

BiomeMakers:

ANALYZING THE IMPACTS OF CHLOROPICRIN ON SOIL MICROBIOLOGY IN AGRICULTURAL DECISION-MAKING TO OPTIMIZE FARMING PRACTICES

Dr. Kristi Sanchez, TriCal Diagnostics Senior Researcher and Nematologist:

LEVERAGING DIAGNOSTICS AND SOIL FUMIGATION AS CORNERSTONES OF SUCCESSFUL ORCHARD AND VINEYARD INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS; SHOWCASING A GRAPE TRIAL, A CITRUS TRIAL AND A WALNUT REPLANT TRIAL

Shawn Fields, TriCal Inc., Sales Manager/Perry Fuller, TriEst Ag Sales Manager/Robert Rauert, Trident Ag Sales Manager:

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR ORCHARD OR VINEYARD SOIL FUMIGATION: SOIL PREPARATION, EQUIPMENT, APPLICATION METHODS AND RATES

Robert Rauert, Trident Ag Sales Manager:

FEATURING THE WORK OF TIM SMITH, WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SPECIALIST, THIS TALK WILL EXPLAIN HOW SOIL FUMIGATION CAN POSITIVELY CHANGE A FARM’S ECONOMICS

Potato School Coming December 13

Posted on | by Chad Hutchinson

Register Now for: POTATO SCHOOL
Tuesday, December 13, Register online:
Potato School – Eventbrite

It is FREE and will be a VIRTUAL ONLINE EVENT.
Come join us for a robust day of learning and discussion. We have an excellent line-up of speakers planned.

Who you will hear and what you will learn:

  • Dr. Steve Culman

    Washington State University’s Soil Health Endowed Chair:
    HOW TO OPTIMIZE CROP SUSTAINABILITY AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN POTATO SYSTEMS

  • Dr. Gary Secor

    North Dakota State University Professor Plant Pathology Department:
    AN OVERVIEW OF SOIL BORNE DISEASES IN POTATOES, WITH A FOCUS ON THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACT AND MANAGEMENT OF FUSARIUM AND RHIZOCTONIA

  • Dr. Chad Hutchinson

    TriCal Group Global Director Potato Research and Market Support:
    FUNCTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY: USING THE STRIKE SYSTEM TO REACH BOTH YOUR FINANCIAL AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE GOALS

  • Grower Panel
  • Dr. Randy Huckaba

    Teleos Ag Solutions Director of Product R&D:
    TELONE® FLEXIBILITY IN POTATO PRODUCTION

  • Jonathan Vink

    Sales And Service at Douglas Agricultural Services Inc.:
    THE STRIKE SYSTEM – HOW TO GET STRIKE IN THE GROUND: EQUIPMENT, SOIL PREPARATION, AND NUTS & BOLTS OF SOIL FUMIGATION LOGISTICS

*Additional Speakers To Be Added!
CEU Credits have been be applied for and will be offered.

Part II: A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management

Posted on | by Josh Mays
Harvested Watermelons

In our last blog post we took a deeper look into grafted watermelon production and management by reviewing a 2020 watermelon trial in central North Carolina. In this post we want take you through year 2 results and our findings. The key focus points of the trial were increasing yields and maturity window of grafted plants using chloropicrin.

Trial details for background

  • The trial was on watermelons grown on plasticulture using TIF film since we found the best results the year prior with using that.
  • We made shank applied fumigant application using a Reddick Equipment Company RMC plastic layer 25 days prior to planting.
  • The grower had watermelons on this particular piece of land on a 3 year rotation with sweet corn, small grain, and tomatoes.
  • The land had heavy root knot nematode pressure and low fusarium wilt pressure so the Carolina Strong Back rootstock was used for the grafted watermelon plants.
  • The trial was planted on 8’ row centers x 3’ standard plant spacing (1,815 plants/acre) and 8’ row centers x 4’ grafted plant spacing (1,316 plants/acre).
  • We used 25% pollinators in-row between every 3rd and 4th seedless plant.

Harvest Events

  • The trial fields allowed for 3 harvest events.
    • June 30 (74 DAP)
    • July 12 (88 DAP)
    • July 26 (102 DAP)
  • The Joyride melon used is an 86 day melon.
  • The grafted maturity is the same as the standard Joyride plant maturity, but heavier yields were shifted 5-7 days.
  • We saw a strong yield response to the fumigant applications and vine health remained great all the way through final harvest on July 26th.
74 DAP
86 DAP
100 DAP
Click to see large chart image.

In summary, we saw results similar to our findings in 2020.

  • Chloropicrin is increasing yields in both non-grafted and grafted plant production systems
  • Fertility changes and addition of chloropicrin are speeding up grafted plant maturity
  • First harvest of grafted is approximately half of non-grafted, but the second harvest of grafted is much heavier
  • Longer harvest windows are possible with grafted plants, due to increased plant growth and durability to harvests
  • No significant differences were seen in size profiles or sugar content/brix between treatments

We saw comparable results in 4 different trials of similar design across North Carolina, Georgia and Florida in 2022. Some key findings:

Standard plant yields are increasing use of chloropicrin

  • North Carolina – 34% increase
    • Florida – 16% and 15% increase
    • Georgia – 20% increase

Grafted plant yields are increasing with the use of chloropicrin and specific fertility protocols

  • North Carolina – 22% increase
    • Florida – 12% and 23% increase
    • Georgia – 14% increase

Combining grafted plants and fumigation with chloropicrin is providing dramatic yield increases over grower standard practice yields in all trial areas

  • North Carolina – 70% increase
    • Florida – 28% and 44% increase
    • Georgia – 28% increase

To learn more please contact our very knowledgeable team at TriEst and be sure to sign up for the next installation of the TriEst Ag News series.

A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management

Posted on | by Josh Mays

In our last blog we went over the obstacles that growers face in watermelon production and their potential solutions. In this blog and video presentation we will take a deeper dive into why we recommend grafted plants and fumigation as potential solutions to obstacles in watermelon production.

Before we get into the first broad study trial we conducted, I would like to focus on grafted plants as a tool and potential solution to grower obstacles.

Some advantages in grafted plants and differences over standard are:

  • Improved root system, increased vigor, better plant and vine health.
  • Disease resistance. (Fusarium, all races)
  • Nematode resistance. (Rootstock dependent)
  • Reduced crop rotation due to better disease resistance.
  • Prolonged harvest potential and higher yield potential.

A common question about grafted plants is about which rootstock is best for a farm. Rootstocks that Tri-Hishtil offers are the Interspecific Hybrid Squash and the Carolina Strongback. The Interspecific Hybrid Squash is susceptible to Root Knot Nematode while the Carolina Strongback offers resistance.

In a trial we conducted in Central North Carolina we looked at solving some of the problems that growers faced by focusing on grafted plants versus standard, fumigated versus non-fumigated, and standard fertility versus reduced fertility.

At the end of this first trial, we learned that grafted plants with the Carolina Strong Back rootstock had significant yield responses over the standard plants, while also performing better than the squash-based rootstock. We also saw increased yields from fumigation regardless of plant type (grafted or standard) and regardless of plant spacing. Lastly, we discovered that reduced plant populations within 20-30% did not result in yield loss when using grafted plants.

Chart description of end field performance results of non-grafted, squash-root grafted, and Carolina Strong Back on different row spacing.

Lastly, we learned from this trial that early fertility reduction would control vine density and promote earlier flowering in grafted plants; however, fertility decreases after fruit set resulted in yield loss. This information has led to specific fertility programs for grafted plants that increase yields, decrease costs and result in earlier harvests.

The 4 beds marked R have Reduced Fertilizer. The 4 beds marked F have typical fertilizer program.

To learn more please contact our very knowledgeable team at TriEst and be sure to sign up for the next installation of this blog. We’ll be going over more trial data and results from the field!

Overcoming Obstacles in Watermelon Production

Posted on | by Josh Mays

Sustainable crop production is a complex issue that every farmer faces each season. All crops present their own challenges and specific needs for maximizing yields and profitability. Let’s focus on discussing a few key impacts for watermelon production in the Southeastern US. The production issues for watermelon are not limited to those listed here by any means, but the following are the focal points of ongoing research that will be discussed over several blog installments in the coming months.

  • Soil borne pests – fusarium wilt, which can be devastating as crop rotations become limited and “new ground” isn’t an option
  • Nematodes – root knot nematode, a widespread issue across the Southeast US
  • Viruses – significant impacts on certain markets and very difficult to control
  • Crop rotation – ability to produce and market crops that aren’t a disease host for watermelon
  • Land availability – decreasing availability in almost all major melon production areas
  • Cultural production system – plasticulture vs bareground under many different styles of irrigation methods (drip, overhead, seep, flood etc)
  • Plant type and variety selection – Use of grafted plants for fusarium wilt control and/or use of tolerant varieties
  • Harvest windows – Watermelon markets are hyper sensitive to timely harvest events by geography. It is critical to understand how production system practices can impact these windows
Fumigated grafted plants (center) and grower standard plants (either side)
20 days after planting – fumigated melons on the left and non-fumigated on the right.

The task for every farmer is to find the balance between these challenges and potential control measures for each, while staying profitable. Solving this problem has to be taken one step at a time and our first step was to identify the products we had available to bring the farming community solutions to these problems. TriEst Ag Group and its affiliates are dedicated to providing soil solutions for the agricultural industry, so let’s take a look at the tools we’ve used to solve this puzzle in watermelon production.

  • Soil fumigation – TriEst has a variety of fumigants and product combinations that can be used for managing a wide range of soil borne pests and nematodes. In addition to managing pests, we have results to indicate that at low rates certain fumigates can be used to improve soil health and increase crop vigor in watermelon crop production. The right product is dependent on the specific pest and disease pressures of an individual farm. In our research we have used multiple products and we will discuss the pros and cons of each in this series.
  • Grafted plants – Like fumigants, there are several options for rootstocks available for grafted plants. Choosing a rootstock is also specific to the issues faced on an individual farm. The primary focus for grafted plants is fusarium wilt control and increased yields.
  • Cultural practices – There are many different cultural practices that are used in watermelon production. Each different scenario can impact the efficacy of fumigation, grafted plant performance, water availability and fertility. We focus on multiple cultural practices in our research, trying to find the best system possible and understanding how each changes the other products involved.
  • Fertility – Soil fertility and fertilizer use has a major influence on crop production. When looking at an overall system for control, fertility has to be considered. Fertility programs should change when they’re used with fumigation and grafted plants. The cultural system being used impacts timing and rates. Details on this will be outlined as we move forward in the series.

Over the past two years, with crops located all across the Southeast, we have worked to develop effective production systems using these tools. We will bring these results and concepts forward in this watermelon crop series, month to month. Next blog, we will take a deep dive into grafted plant production and the impact of fumigation in that system. Stay tuned!