New research shows that waiting to harvest after a rain enhances food safety. This news release from Cornell University says rain or irrigation creates soil conditions that are more hospitable to Listeria monocytogenes, which when ingested may cause the human illness Listeriosis. Waiting to harvest crops reduces the risk of exposure to the pathogen, which could land on fresh produce. … Read More
USDA Finds More Than One Way to Skin a Tomato
To turn a phrase, there might be more than one way to skin a tomato. Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found that infrared heating can simplify the removal of the tomatoes’ tight-fitting peels, better than other peeling technologies. The researchers have demonstrated, for example, that infrared-based peeling is mostly waterless. That’s a benefit for canneries in … Read More
USDA Test Measures Healthy Compounds
A new test developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists is now measuring the health-promoting compounds in fruits and vegetables. This story from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says the new analytical method is better for detecting and measuring concentrations of phytochemicals called “polyphenols” in plant materials. At the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, … Read More
USDA Test Measures Health-Promoting Compounds
A new test is giving better information on the health-promoting compounds in fruits and vegetables. This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) news release says scientists at the agency have devised a new analytical method for detecting and measuring concentrations of phytochemicals called “polyphenols” in plant materials, also referred to as “phenolics,” the class of health-promoting compounds found in certain foods … Read More
Plant Sap Analysis Sampling
The Power Growers Seminar by Crop Health Laboratories attracted fruit and vegetable growers from the East and West Coasts and everywhere in between. The conference covered anything pertaining to plant sap analysis, but the session on proper sampling, handling and labeling techniques answered many frequently asked questions. Maikel van de Ven is a consultant for NovaCropControl/HortiNova and was there to … Read More
Improving Plant Health Through Nutritional Balance
Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) is a plant nutrition consulting company that works with fruit and vegetable growers from across the country. They have become known for helping farmers grow crops that are completely resistant to diseases and insects using nutrition and enhancing plant immunity through nutritional balance. During Crop Health Laboratories’ Power Growers Seminar I spoke with founder and CEO … Read More
A Blood Test for Plants
Crop Health Laboratories presented Power Growers Seminar over the weekend in Santa Clara, CA. The event provided a comprehensive introduction to plant sap analysis technology. This new nutrient management strategy was created by Sjoerd Smits, owner of NovaCropControl and HortiNova. Both companies are based out of the Netherlands and currently sap samples are shipped there for analysis. Crop Health Labs … Read More
Doctor App Provides Advice for Tomato Growers
Home gardeners needing some quick, expert advice about their tomato plants will find it right in their pockets with Purdue Extension’s Tomato Doctor mobile app. The app will help gardeners diagnose problems and offer solutions to get their plants back to a healthy condition, said Janna Beckerman, a Purdue Extension plant disease specialist and content specialist for the app. “Even … Read More
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