This publication contains recommendations for commercial production of vegetables ranging from artichokes, asparagus and beets to strawberries, tomatoes and watermelons. Among its guidelines for more than 30 different vegetables are recommended seeding rates, planting dates and varieties. It also includes information about days from planting to harvest, the approximate time from pollination to market and optimum soil temperatures for the various vegetables covered in this guidebook.

Results of 11 TSWV-resistant tomato varieties planted at seven different locations across Louisiana in the summer of 2009.

The results of demonstration plots of 16 seedless watermelon varieties planted at six locations across the state.

Results of hot-set tomato variety demonstration plots in Lousiana in the summer/fall of 2006.

Bed shapers are available in pan-type and spool-type versions. Pan-type bed shapers are easy to make in a farm shop. These plans will show you how to build one.

A common problem with hydraulic cylinders is rust and pitting of the cylinder rods. If equipment that incorporates hydraulic cylinders is stored outside with the cylinder rods extended, the rods are exposed to weathering. Eventually, the rods will begin to show specks of rust that develop into pits. Once rusting and pitting occur, the rod will destroy the cylinder seal the next time it is activated.

14 varieties of pumpkins were planted at Burden Center to determine best producing varieties for Louisiana farmers.

Growing commercial vegetables is different from growing agronomic crops and requires a different approach to equipment. A precision cultural system (PCS) developed by the LSU AgCenter can make commercial vegetable production much easier.

Louisiana growers want a carrot variety that makes long tapered roots with good exterior and interior color and produces a high percentage of marketable roots with tall to medium tops.

Louisiana growers want a spinach variety that is early in maturing with dark green, savoy type leaves on an upright growing plant with good vigor that does not bolt. Twenty-two spinach varieties were evaluated at the Burden Center in Baton Rouge, La.

Louisiana growers want a beet variety that matures early with globe-shaped roots 2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter with good exterior and interior color with tall dark green glossy tops that remain in good condition for an extended period of time.

Twelve onion varieties were planted in replicated plots at the Burden Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA in January of 2008. Plants were obatined from Bland Farms, Glennville, GA, Dixondale Farms, Carrizo Springs, TX and Dietrich Gembler, Knippa, TX. The varietes were evaluated for maturity, yield, bulb size, bulb shape, degree of bolting, degree of double bulbs and tast

Eighteen varieties of seeded watermelons were planted at three locations in the spring of 2008. The melons were evaluated at each location. The information was analyzed and the top varieties were selected.

The use of plastic mulch is a common practice for strawberry and vegetable growers, but there are two major problems with plastic mulch: it is expensive to install and at some point it has to be removed from the field. Several machines are available that help simplify the removal of the mulch.

This publication includes information on soil preparation, fertilization, training, pruning, nutrient solutions, pollination, harvesting, marketing, and insect and disease control for greenhouse tomatoes. (PDF Format Only)

Bed shapers are available in pan-type and spool-type versions. Spool-type bed shapers are not readily available on a commercial basis, but can easily be constructed. These plans provide designs and dimensions for spool-type bed shapers to fit several row sizes and configurations. The designs can easily be adjusted to accommodate different row sizes or multiple rows.

Most commercial vegetable growers apply granular fertilizer in a preplant operation, and many also make sidedress applications of granular fertilizer. An excellent way to apply granular materials in either a broadcast or banding mode is with a pendulum-action spreader.

Many growers pick up plastic mulch but several machines are available for this job. Work at the LSU AgCenter has demonstrated that, in some cases, plastic mulch can be picked up by a hay baler.

The use of plastic mulch is a common practice for nearly all strawberry growers and most vegetable growers. Installing the mulch is easier than it used to be when mulch was installed by hand, but it can be challenging.

A seeder can be a tremendous aid in planting a vegetable garden. With it, you can stand and walk along the row pushing a seeder instead of having to make a furrow with a hoe, going back along the row bent over dropping seeds, and then covering and packing the row.

The perfromance of eight BT sweet cron varieties planted in four locations in Louisiana in 2008.

When growing carrots for commercial production, it is helpful to run a knife in the soil beside the rows. This breaks up any soil compaction, allowing the carrot roots to grow straight.

Cone guide wheels are the heart of a precision cultural system (PCS). Cone guide wheels allow an implement to follow along a shaped bed with no effort on the part of the tractor driver.

Cultivation is essential for nearly all commercial vegetable crops since herbicide choices are limited and vegetable crops cannot tolerate much weed competition. A basic sweep cultivator can do an excellent job of precision cultivation if set up and equipped properly.

Precision vertical plate seeders are available for planting many vegetable crops. These seeders use a vertical metal plate with the cells (holes) on the edge.

All vegetable seeders require openers, coverers and presswheels to provide a furrow for the seeds and to then cover the seeds and assure proper soil contact. These devices must be matched to the soil type and condition for optimum germination and seedling vigor.

A key component of a precision cultural system is precision bed shaping. A precisely shaped bed is essential to locate the crop row properly when planting and to provide a basis for guidance of subsequent operations.

A standard sweep cultivator can do an excellent job of cultivating vegetable crops once the plants reach 4-6 inches, but it must run very slowly in small crops (1-2 inches) and has a tendency to throw soil over the crop plants. An alternative is a rotary tiller/cultivator.

A basic sweep cultivator can do an excellent job of cultivating vegetable crops but must be run slowly (1-2 mph) when the crop plants are small. A simple modification to a sweep cultivator allows high-speed cultivation of small vegetable crops.

Vacuum seeders are popular among larger commercial vegetable growers. They do a good job of singulating most vegetable seeds. They are especially useful for singulating the oddly shaped seeds that cause problems for most other types of seeders.

The use of plastic mulch is a common practice for strawberry and vegetable growers, but there are two major problems with plastic mulch: It is expensive to install and at some point it has to be removed from the field. Drawings are available to use in building a mulch collector. This machine allows easier retrieval of the used mulch.

BOSSIER CITY – Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse may be less costly in the future.Dr. H.Y. Hanna, an LSU AgCenter scientist working at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City, is studying how spacing between bags that hold the plants affects the amount of heat required to produce tomatoes in greenhouses.

Sustainable and profitable commercial sweet potato production requires proper management of nitrogen fertilizer. Inadequate or excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer can be detrimental to a sweet potato crop and can negatively affect yield potential. What Amount of Nitrogen Fertilizer Does My Sweet Potato Crop Need? When Should Nitrogen Be Applied? How Should a Sweet Potato Crop Look 30 Days After Transplanting? Find these answers and more in this publication. (PDF Format Only)

Downy mildew is a potentially devastating disease of all cucurbits. Disease symptoms, development, control measures and color photographs of symptoms on pumpkin, cucumber and watermelon are included. (PDF format only)

Cucumber beetles (rootworms) are significant insect pests of sweet potatoes in Louisiana. Adults and larvae of these insects feed on sweet potatoes, but larvae are the most damaging. Descriptions of the banded cucumber beetle and the spotted cucumber beetle, as well as management strategies for these insects, are included in this publication. (PDF Format Only)