Fruit and Vegetable Production

1. Fruit and Vegetable Production

2. Fruit and Vegetable Management Practices FV2

3. Objectives LESSON OBJECTIVE ENABLING OBJECTIVES • Describe the production methods used to create products to fit specific markets • Evaluate sites for fruit and vegetable production and recommend improvement measures if needed • After completing this lesson on Fruit and Vegetable Management Practices, students will demonstrate their ability to apply the concept in real-world situations by obtaining a minimum score of 80% on the Garden Creation evaluation. 01 02 • Select and defend integrated pest management plans 03

4. Key Terms Integrated Pest Management

5. Field to Plate

6. What is the last fruit or vegetable you ate?

7. Objective 1Production Methods and Markets

8. Conventional Farming • "Modern Agriculture" or "Industrial Agriculture" • World Bank estimates that 70-90% of recent increases in food production are the result of conventional agriculture • Varies from farm to farm and country to country

9. Conventional Farming • Similar characteristics include: • Rapid technological innovation • Large farms • Uniform, high-yield, hybrid crops • Pesticides and fertilizers • High labor efficiency • Dependency on agribusiness

10. Organic • Promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity • Minimal use of off-farm inputs • Management practices restore, maintain, and enhance environment

11. Organic • Excludes synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or growth regulators, but cannot ensure completely free of other residues • Minimize pollution to air, soil, water

12. Natural • Non-regulated term • Generally, no chemicals and no genetically modified seeds • Often used to avoid the work and expense of being certified as organic

13. What are some production factors to consider when producing fruit and vegetables? What are methods by which fruits and vegetables can be grown? What markets are available today to sell this produce?

14. Production Factors Crop Selection • Must grow well under given siteconditions - consider climate, available nutrients, and pests • Farming method Water • Must be available for plant growth • Vegetable crops require more total water and more frequent watering than other crops

15. Production Factors Temperature • Growing season temperature of selected crop • Vegetables are warm or cool season crops • Warm season: tomato, pepper, squash • Cool season: carrot, spinach, cabbage

16. Production Factors Light • Intensity, quality and day lengthwill affect growth • Can sometimes be managed by • Shading • Covering crops with row covers • Altering planting dates to accommodate desirable light

17. Production Factors Nutrients • Consider what might be lackingin the site • Collect soil samples to determineneeds Site Selection • Site topography • Soil type • Water availability - both quantity and quality

18. Production Factors Land Preparation • Optimum conditions include: • Fine-sized soil particles • Soil free of clods, weeds and previous crop residue

19. Growing Fruits and Vegetables Orchard • Piece of land planted with fruit trees Vineyard • Plantation of grapevines Grove • Small wood, orchard, or group of trees Home garden or yard • Small enclosed area with plants grown using the soil of the land Hydroponic • Process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients, but without soil

20. Growing Fruits and Vegetables Raised bed • Garden bed constructed above ground • The soil is "raised" above the surrounding soil and the "bed" is a size small enough to work without actually stepping onto the bed Container garden • Growing plants in containers as opposed to planting them in the ground Field grown • Typically grown commercially on a larger scale

21. Markets to Sell Produce Consumer Supported Agriculture • Group of individuals who pledge to support one or more local farms • Growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of production Farmers Market • Food market where local farmers sell products directly to consumers. Wholesale Marketing • Selling crops to one place, such as a store, restaurant, or cooperative • Less money may be earned than by selling directly to the consumer

22. Markets to Sell Produce Roadside Stand • Producer sells directly to consumers • Often seasonal, temporary or semi-temporary • Located on or off the farm Pick-Your-Own • Customers come to field and pick their own fruits and vegetables to purchase

23. Objective 2Evaluate sites for fruit and vegetable production and recommend improvement measures if needed

24. Site Selection Considerations

25. Soil • Texture • Affects ease of tilling and root development • Affects amount of air and water soil will hold • Affects rate of water movement through soil • Affects nutrient supplies • pH • affects available nutrient levels • needs to be monitored to reduce nutrient deficiencies • Fertility • Dependent upon • Nutrient balance and quantity • Soil texture • Soil structure • Rooting depth • Organic matter content • Available water capacity • Porosity • Length of growing season • Physical support for erosion control and plant residue management

26. Topography • Affects… • Soil condition • Types of plants that grow well in the area • How accessible the area is for machinery • Along with wind and water, affects… • Soil erosion • Soil drainage • Water-holding capacity

27. Accessibility • Must be accessible to plant, maintain and harvest crop • Utilities (water and electricity) need to be accessible • Existing roads; roads that may need to be built • Some farms need to be accessible to customers

28. Climate • Helps determine what plants will thrive during the growing season Spring Frost Dates Fall Frost Dates

29. Utilities • Need to be easily accessible • Distance of utilities affects cost to bring them to the site • Water needs to be available and plentiful • Electricity may be needed depending on equipment used

30. Zoning and Labor • Zoning • Controls physical development of land • Dictates kinds of uses allowed on individual properties • Controlled by local governments • Labor • Depends on type, size and scale of production • May be automated or done by hand

31. Objective 3Select and defend integrated pest management plans

32. Conclusion Environmental factors include soil, topography, accessibility, and climate. Non-environmental factors include utilities, zoning, and labor. Carefully consider these factors before selecting a site to avoid future problems.

33. Exit Card • What did you learn about fruit and vegetable management practices? • What questions do you still have about fruit and vegetable management practices?