(06/20/23) BATON ROUGE, La. — With temperatures nearing 90 degrees before 10 a.m., producers from across the state endured the heat and humidity to learn the latest on planting and disease control and to taste unreleased varieties at a commercial vegetable field day June 14 at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden.

Rory Gresham, of the Richland Parish School Board, drove down from north Louisiana bright and early in the morning to attend the event sponsored by the AgCenter and the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

“Today is very important because we have a lot of new farmers and growers who may have questions,” he said. “I’m grateful to the AgCenter for sponsoring these types of events and giving us a chance to see the latest.”

The day kicked off with a welcome from Mary Coco, assistant director of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, then attendees hopped on haywagons that took them to stops where researchers discussed plant pathology, nematology, food safety, citrus production, hemp production and various other topics.

At his station, AgCenter hematologist Tristan Watson said he was trying to get the word out on Meloidogyne enterolobii, or guava root-knot nematode, which prevents roots from accessing water and nutrients.

“It gets through all the resistance that has been developed for tomato, pepper and sweet potato varieties,” Watson said. “The No. 1 thing producers can do to prevent the pest is surveillance. Keep instruments clean and make sure you’re not bringing it into your field because once you get it, you’re not going to be able to get rid of it.”

Next to Watson was AgCenter plant doctor Raj Singh, who talked about various vegetable diseases, including blossom-end rot, which affects tomatoes and peppers.

“Blossom-end rot is an abiotic disorder caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil,” he said. “So, farmers can manage it by adding more calcium nitrate to the soil, and the new fruit set should be fine.”

AgCenter vegetable specialist Kiki Fontenot, who was instrumental in organizing the field day, walked attendees through tomato plants and cut flowers. She called the Raspberry Rose strawflower one of her favorites.

“The color ranges from a peach-yellow to a deep raspberry, and the height is really good,” she said. “If you’re going to grow flowers for cuts, you want 24-inch stems if possible, especially if you’re making a giant bouquet for a wedding versus a hand bouquet.”

At the citrus stop, horticulture agent Anna Timmerman discussed her containerized citrus orchard in Violet, Louisiana, and frost damage. Her colleague, horticulturist David Picha, talked about methods to extend postharvest marketability of Louisiana satsumas, while consumer horticulture specialist Heather Kirk-Ballard handed out samples of a clove oil for organic growers to prevent damping off in seedlings.

“At the concentration we have here, our study showed that it controls the pathogen, and the plant can outgrow the disease,” Kirk-Ballard said. “We’ve had positive outcomes and hope to get a product developed from it at some point.

The field day wrapped up with variety tastings and a Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. membership board meeting.

AgCenter research associate Keith Lewis said field days like this are crucial for farmers to get together with researchers to learn how to implement emerging techniques and methods into their own gardening.

“A day like this is important because the AgCenter is on the cutting edge of research,” Lewis said. “This is a great, hands-on way to get the information out to the growing public,” he said.

Nematologist Tristan Watson gets the word out on Meloidogyne enterolobii, or Guava root-knot nematode, which prevents roots from accessing water and nutrients at the LSU AgCenter commercial vegetable field day held on Wednesday, June 14, at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter vegetable specialist Kiki Fontenot walks attendees through cut flowers at a commercial vegetable field day held Wednesday, June 14, at Botanic Gardens at Burden. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

An example of blossom-end rot, an abiotic disorder caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil. The disease was discussed by plant doctor Raj Singh at the LSU AgCenter commercial vegetable field day, held on Wednesday, June 14, at the AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

Horticulturist David Picha talks about methods to extend postharvest marketability of Louisiana satsumas with an attendee of the LSU AgCenter Commercial Vegetable Field Day, held on Wednesday, June 14, at LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

Staff members from the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden prepare variety tasting samples at a commercial vegetable field day held on Wednesday, June 14. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter