project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Improving knowledge and experience of micronutrient management in cucurbit production in Wales
Improving knowledge and experience of micronutrient management in cucurbit production in Wales
Objectives
Cucurbits include a number of important crops such as courgette, marrow, pumpkin and squash. As field crops, they can also be integrated into a mixed cropping system, or offer an accessible diversification crop for arable farms. A common problem within this crop group is the development of rots such as blossom end rot (BER) which can render the fruit unmarketable.Two relatively small scale horticultural units based in Brecon, who are members of the Tyfu Cymru network, will be working together in this two year project to gain more knowledge on whether foliar feeding calcium and boron can reduce the incidence of BER in their pumpkin crops.
Objectives
Mae pompiynau’n cynnwys nifer o gnydau pwysig fel courgette, maro, pwmpen a sgwash.Gan mai cnydau cae yw’r rhain, mae modd eu cyfuno hefyd mewn system gnydio gymysg, neu gallant gynnig cnwd arallgyfeirio hwylus ar ffermydd âr. Un broblem gyffredin yn y grŵp cnydau hwn yw eu bod yn datblygu mathau o bydredd fel Pydredd o Waelod y Ffrwyth (BER) sy'n gallu gwneud y ffrwyth yn amhosibl ei werthu. Bydd dwy uned arddwriaeth ar raddfa gymharol fach yn Aberhonddu, sy'n aelodau o rwydwaith Tyfu Cymru, yn cydweithio yn y prosiect hwn dros gyfnod o ddwy flynedd er mwyn sicrhau rhagor o wybodaeth ynghylch a all calsiwm a boron, o’u bwydo drwy ddail y cnwd, leihau nifer yr achosion o BER yn eu cnydau pwmpenni.
Activities
1) At least five different commercially available calcium and boron foliar feed products will be trailed over two growing seasons at each site.
2) The products will be trailed on three replicate blocks consisting of 10 m length and 4 rows of a single pumpkin variety.
3) The foliar spray products will be applied every 10 – 14 days from the onset of flowering (c. 4 – 6 weeks from planting), and will be continued until the onset of leaf senescence.
4) Field observations of crop condition will be made throughout the season alongside the incidence and severity of visible BER symptoms.
5) At harvest, the quantity of fruit from each plot will be recorded and will be assessed for quality.
Activities
1) Bydd o leiaf pump o fathau gwahanol o gynhyrchion calsiwm a boron sydd ar gael yn fasnachol i’w bwydo drwy’r dail yn cael eu treialu dros ddau dymor tyfu ar y ddau safle.
2) Bydd y cynhyrchion yn cael eu treialu ar dri bloc dyblyg sy’n 10 m o hyd ac yn cynnwys pedair rhes o un amrywogaeth o bwmpen
3) Bydd y cynhyrchion i’w chwistrellu ar y dail yn cael eu defnyddio bob 10 – 14 diwrnod ar ôl dechrau blodeuo (tua 4 – 6 wythnos ar ôl plannu), gan barhau hyd nes bod y dail yn dechrau heneiddio.
4) Bydd arsylwadau yn cael eu gwneud o gyflwr y cnwd yn y maes gydol y tymor ynghyd â mynychder a difrifoldeb symptomau gweladwy BER.
5) Adeg eu cynaeafu, bydd nifer y ffrwythau o bob llain yn cael ei gofnodi a chânt eu hasesu o ran ansawdd.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Ort
- Main geographical location
- Powys
EUR 47 058.00
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
Cucurbits include a number of important crops such as courgette, marrow, pumpkin and squash. These crops are robust and can be grown in a variety of field conditions, and can offer increased variety to farm shop style businesses. As field crops, they can also be integrated into a mixed cropping system, or offer an accessible diversification crop for arable farms. Pumpkins can potentially offer high-value returns from pick your own local Halloween markets, however there has been continued growth of pumpkin as an edible crop with a number of prominent eating varieties now available to growers.
A common problem within this crop group is the development of rots such as blossom end rot (BER) which can render the fruit unmarketable. BER can lead to significant crop loses and it is one of the primary sources of wastage in this sector. A limited range of fungal plant protection products are available, but as these are generic fungicides their use in an open field setting may be unsuitable.
An evolving body of evidence suggests that the development of BER is likely to be linked with crop nutritional status and it is believed that management of the crop’s calcium and boron nutritional status may provide a method of its control. As it is a difficult and relatively slow process to control the crop’s nutrition through the soil, applying calcium and boron directly to the plant through foliar feeding may be a more effective method. In this approach, nutrients are applied to the leaf and fruit of the plant as a fine mist which is then absorbed by the plant.
Mae pompiynau’n cynnwys nifer o gnydau pwysig fel courgette, maro, pwmpen a sgwash. Mae'r cnydau hyn yn gadarn a gallant gael eu tyfu o dan amryw o amodau yn y cae, a chynnig mwy o amrywiaeth i fusnesau tebyg i siop fferm. Gan mai cnydau cae yw’r rhain, mae modd eu cyfuno hefyd mewn system gnydio gymysg, neu gallant gynnig cnwd arallgyfeirio hwylus ar ffermydd âr. Mae pwmpenni’n gallu cynnig enillion gwerthfawr drwy farchnadoedd lleol lle bydd pobl yn pigo’u ffrwythau eu hunain ar gyfer Calan Gaeaf, ond mae twf parhaol wedi bod o ran pwmpenni i’w bwyta, gyda nifer o fathau adnabyddus i’w bwyta ar gael i’r tyfwyr erbyn hyn.
Un broblem gyffredin yn y grŵp cnydau hwn yw eu bod yn datblygu mathau o bydredd fel Pydredd o Waelod y Ffrwyth (BER) sy'n gallu gwneud y ffrwyth yn amhosibl ei werthu. Gall BER arwain at golledion arwyddocaol yn y cnwd ac mae'n un o'r prif ffynonellau gwastraff yn y sector hwn. Mae ystod gyfyngedig o gynhyrchion ar gael i amddiffyn planhigion rhag ffwng, ond ffwngleiddiaid generig yw’r rhain felly fe all defnyddio’r rhain mewn cae agored fod yn anaddas.
Mae corff cynyddol o dystiolaeth yn awgrymu bod datblygiad BER yn debygol o fod yn gysylltiedig â statws maethol y cnwd, a’r gred yw y gall rheoli statws maethol y cnwd o ran calsiwm a boron fod yn ddull rheoli. Proses anodd a chymharol araf yw rheoli maeth y cnwd drwy'r pridd, ac felly gall rhoi calsiwm a boron yn syth i'r planhigyn drwy eu bwydo drwy’r dail fod yn ddull mwy effeithiol. Yn y dull hwn, defnyddir maetholion ar ddail a ffrwythau'r planhigyn ar ffurf niwl mân sydd wedyn yn cael ei amsugno gan y planhigyn.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Will John
Project coordinator