Carrot Country Summer 2022

CarrotCountry.com Summer 2022

El Centro Trials

ADVERTISER INDEX

Asa-Lift......................... 5 Bejo ............................. 9 Brookfield Gardens .... 16 Ferticell ........................ 7 Gwillimdale Farms ....... 9 Kerian ........................ 19 Pop Vriend ................. 19 Rietveld Equipment ..... 2 Rijk Zwaan ................. 17 Univerco ...................... 3 Verbruggen ................ 11 Vogel .......................... 20

Weed Control

•

Seed Germination

•

Harvest Essentials

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Telephone: (208) 520-6461 Circulation: (503) 724-3581

Vol. 30, No. 2

SUMMER 2022

CarrotCountry.com CARROT COUNTRY CONTACTS

6 Narrowing the Field

USDA Carrot Hybrid Trial Puts Potential Varieties to the Test

8 Leading the Charge

A Season-Long Approach to Weed Control in Carrot

Editor Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Publisher / Advertising Manager Dave Alexander dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Director of Operations Brian Feist brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

12 Harvest Essentials Buyers’ Guide

EDITORIAL INFORMATION

14 Seeds of Cultivar Improvement

Carrot Country is interested in newsworthy material related to carrot production and marketing. Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com, or call (509) 697-9436.

ADVERTISING SALES For information on rates, mechanics, deadlines, list rental, direct mail, inserts or other information, call (208) 520-6461 or email: dave@carrotcountry.net

SUBSCRIPTIONS U.S. $20 per year Canada $30 per year Foreign $45 per year

Subscribe online at: www.CarrotCountry.com/subscribe or call (503) 724-3581

For all your harvest needs, look to our Harvest Essentials Buyers’ Guide on pages 12-13.

ON THE COVER Jaspreet Sidhu with the University of California Cooperative Extension cuts and evaluates a carrot grown in the USDA carrot hybrid trial in El Centro, Calif. See the story on page 6. Photo courtesy Micaela Colley, Organic Seed Alliance

4

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

DEPARTMENTS 16 17 18 18 18

New Products Carrot Cartoon In the News Advertiser Index Calendar

Email address changes/corrections to brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or mail to: Carrot Country PO Box 333 Roberts, ID 83444 Carrot Country magazine (ISSN 1071-6653), is published four times a year and mailed under a standard rate mailing permit at Idaho Falls, Idaho and at additional mailing offices.

Produced by Columbia Media Group PO Box 333, Roberts, ID, 83444 Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Media Group.

Narrowing the Field

USDA Carrot Hybrid Trial Puts Potential Varieties to the Test Photos courtesy Jaspreet Sidhu, University of California Cooperative Extension

E

xperimental carrot hybrids with potential nematode resistance attracted the attention of researchers at the annual USDA carrot hybrid trial.

The trial featured 70 cut-and-peel types, 90 cello types and 90 novel types of different sizes, shapes and colors. Entries included commercially available carrot varieties and hybrids from seed companies as well as experimental varieties and hybrids from seed companies and public institutions such as USDA-ARS. The trial gives carrot producers and breeders a chance to see how hybrids and varieties perform under the same growing conditions and is meant to identify carrot breeding material and eventual new varieties with improved production, quality, and disease resistance qualities.

Of note in this year’s trial was the number of cello experimental hybrids from the USDA-ARS program that have parents with nematode resistance. Tom Horejsi

with the USDA-ARS in Madison, Wisconsin, who helps set up the trial, pointed out that these hybrids could provide growers with options to produce carrots in soils with nematode infestations.

The trial was planted at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center in El Centro, California, in late October 2021 and harvested in early March. Due to COVID restrictions, the harvest and evaluation of the trial was not open to the public and trial scores will not be posted. However, a limited number of judges did evaluate the trial for traits such as uniformity, shape, color, size and percentage of marketable roots from each entry.

Photos of entries in this year’s trial can be viewed online at www.vcru.wisc.edu/ carrottrial. The website also includes trial results going back to 1998. This trial has been ongoing since the late 1960s.

A cello variety is evaluated for internal color and flavor in the USDA carrot hybrid trial.

Researchers evaluate the 250 entries in the USDA carrot hybrid trial in El Centro, Calif. in early March.

Photo courtesy Jairo Diaz, University of California Cooperative Extension

6

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

This entry was one of the promising cello varieties in the hybrid trial.

R5646, a red carrot inbred, is on display.

ROOT GALLING

Roots of a cello variety are available for viewing.

Control

Promax

Velum2

DP1

Velum1 VelumWM

Nimitz

The trial included American Beauty, an entry from India.

CarrotCountry.com

7

Leading the Charge

A Season-Long Approach to Weed Control in Carrot

By Christopher G. Galbraith and Sushila Chaudhari, Michigan State University

C

arrot growers have faced their share of weed control challenges in recent years. Growing resistance to herbicides from important modes of action, such as the photosystem II inhibitors (Group 5), has led to reduced efficacy and an increasing number of escaped weeds.

These escapes threaten yield potential in future seasons if allowed to reach reproductive maturity and disperse seed, increasing not only weed pressure but also prevalence of resistance genes in the population.

“While starting out with effective control is crucial, it is also important to plan for control of escaped weeds later in the season as part of an overall integrated weed management program.”

When early-season control fails, new practices are required to handle these larger weeds that are no longer susceptible to herbicide application. The standard strategy in west Michigan and other regions is to hire teams of hand labor to manually remove weeds before they are able to set seed, a practice which poses a major financial burden to growers.

As the need for better late-season control continues to rise, growers are looking for new tools and technologies that will help them take action.

Herbicide Programs for Early-Season Control

Beginning the season with strong control through selection of effective herbicides and practices is essential for optimizing yield in slow-emerging crops like carrot. Surface cultivation, flame-weeding or application of a burndown herbicide can be used to clear 8

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

A

B

The stages of weed death include (a) initial wilting one day post-electrocution, (b) discoloration of leaves and blackening of tissue at one week post-electrocution, and (c) consistent weed desiccation across the research plot at two weeks post-electrocution.

C Innovation in electrical weeding equipment from companies such as The Weed Zapper is creating new options for growers.

Exploring nature never stops

BEJO ORGANIC CARROTS - A STRINGENT SELECTION PROCESS NAPOLI

YAYA

NAVAL

Very full-sized Nantes with strong dark green tops and cylindrical, smooth blunt roots. A specialized variety with a sweet taste when sown in fall for winter harvest.

Similar to Nelson, with more uniform roots and plant vigor. The 5 1/2–6 1/2” roots have mild flavor and crisp, juicy texture with early sugar development.

Strong, compact tops for bunching.

Resistance IR: Ar / Cc / Ps, Pv

Resistance IR: Ar / Cc / Ps, Pv

A Nantes type that produces very shapely, uniform, hairless roots 7-9 inches long. Crisp and sweet, Naval resists cracking with an added bonus of a long shelf life.

f Chelsey Lenczyk - Organic Lead, Home & Farm Market Manager f T: 267-838-0078 E: c.lenczyk@bejoseeds.com

Resistance IR: Ad / Ar / Cc

f bejoseeds.com

Carrot Wash Line For Sale Wyma & WBM Equipment • See it in action: https://tinyurl.com/gwillimdalefarms

Pieces include wet hopper, polisher, length sizer, lift roll sizer, destoner, hydro cooler, various conveyors, catwalks, and control panels.

For more information please contact: Quinton@gwillimdalefarms.com • 905-775-2889 • https://gwillimdalefarms.com

CarrotCountry.com

9

Weed Control Figure 1. Application rates of herbicides labeled for carrot. Information from 2022 Weed Control Field Guide for Vegetable Crops (Extension Bulletin E-433).

Application

Active Ingredient (a.i.)

Preemergence Annuals

Postemergence Broadleaves

Trade Name

lb. a.i./acre

Product/acre

linuron

Lorox 50 DF

0.5-1

1-2 lb.

s-metolachlor

Dual Magnum 7.62E

0.48-1.9

0.5-2 pt.

pendimethalin

Prowl H2O 3.8ACS

0.95

2 pt.

prometryn

Caparol 4L

0.5-1

1-2 pt.

trifluralin

Treflan 4EC

0.5-1

1-2 pt.

linuron

Lorox 50 DF

0.75-1

1.5-2 lb.

metribuzin

Tricor 4F

0.25

8 fl. oz.

prometryn

Caparol 4L

0.75-1

1.5-2 pt.

fluazifop-P

Fusilade DX 2E

0.16-0.19

10-12 fl. oz.

Postemergence Grasses

sethoxydim

Poast 1.5E

0.19-0.47

1-2.5 pt.

clethodim

Select Max 0.97E

0.068-0.12

9-16 fl. oz.

Postemergence Perennials

glyphosate

Roundup 4L

2-3

2-3 qt.

Figure 2. Average carrot yield for non-chemical control methods 50 45 40

A

A

AB

A

B

35 Yield (tons/acre)

A

30 25 20 15 10 5 0

No Late Season Control

1 Hand-Weeding

1 Pass EW

2 Pass EW (Same Time)

2 Pass EW 2 Pass Followed by (14 Day Interval) 1 Pass EW (14 Day Interval)

Non - Chemical Wood Control Methods

Figure 3. Average carrot root length for non-chemical control methods 9 8

Average Length (in)

7

A

BC

AB

C

ABC

A

6 5 4 3 2 1 0

No Late Season Control

1 Hand-Weeding

1 Pass EW

2 Pass EW (Same Time)

2 Pass EW 2 Pass Followed by (14 Day Interval) 1 Pass EW (14 Day Interval)

Non - Chemical Wood Control Methods

10

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

existing weeds prior to crop emergence.

Numerous cultivation implements can be used for between/in-row weeding throughout the season.

Preemergence chemical options include linuron (Lorox 50DF), pendimethalin (Prowl H2O), prometryn (Caparol 4L), S-metolachlor (Dual Magnum) and trifluralin (Treflan 4EC). Linuron and prometryn can also be used postemergence for broadleaf control, along with metribuzin (Tricor 4F).

Postemergence options for grasses consist of fluazifop-P (Fusilade DX 2E), sethoxydim (Poast 1.5E) and clethodim (Select Max 0.97E). Herbicide application rates can be found in Fig. 1.

While starting out with effective control is crucial, it is also important to plan for control of escaped weeds later in the season as part of an overall integrated weed management program.

Electrical Weeding: A New Option for Late-Season Weed Control

Electrical weeding is an emerging technology that is sweeping across many agronomic and horticultural crop industries. Commercial equipment is available that terminates weeds through contact with a tractor-mounted, highvoltage electrode which is charged via a power take-off driven generator/ transformer system. Upon contact, the current is conducted through the weed as it returns back to its source through the soil and a grounding device. Electrical

energy is converted into heat as it moves through the plant, causing systemic tissue death. This novel practice is being leveraged as a form of late-season weed control by Michigan carrot growers to manage escapes, resistance and the weed seed bank.

A summer 2021 research trial at Michigan State University put electrical weeding to the test by evaluating its success within various control programs.

Different combinations of early-season Prowl/Lorox applications with variable timing and number of electrical weeder passes performed later in the summer were compared in terms of crop injury and weed control. Yield data and inseason foliar injury ratings were collected to discern the level of inadvertent crop damage. Carrot root subsamples were also taken at harvest to determine both average length and extent of damage to internal tissue from the electric current.

Results show that two electrical weeder passes applied at the same time (i.e. in succession, with no interval between applications) is optimal in terms of balancing control and operating costs.

No evidence was found to indicate that any of the electrical weeding treatments cause damage to the crop’s internal root structure. Two electrical weeder passes in succession did show slightly higher foliar injury. However, there was no meaningful difference in carrot yield or length between any of the non-chemical treatments (Fig. 2, Fig. 3) besides slight variation resulting from higher weed pressure found in plots where two passes were applied in succession.

This finding indicates that electrical weeding’s primary benefit may not be so much that it boosts yield in the current season, but that it can reduce pressure in later years by eliminating mature weeds before they set seed. Electrical weeding serves as a form of long-term weed management when employed to clean up fields following early-season control practices, preventing further replenishment of the weed seed bank and escaped weeds from interfering with harvest.

These preliminary results showing electrical weeding’s effects on weed control and crop damage are just the beginning in terms of the potential of this

new technology. The current research program at Michigan State is testing the effects of electrical weed control on environmental factors such as weed seed germinability and microbial populations inhabiting the root zone. Data from the research is also being used in constructing a profitability analysis between electrical and hand-weeding to determine which is more cost effective. There is also growing interest around the potential of electrical weeding for elimination of bolting carrots in order to prevent harvest of these unmarketable roots. As growers

are faced with the dire challenge of controlling resistant weed populations, electrical weeding shows promise as a viable option for improving integrated weed management in modern carrot production.

Authors’ note: Funding for this research was provided by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Hatch Project number MICL102562, MDARD State Specialty Crop Block grants, USDA NCR-SARE Graduate Student Grant and the Michigan Carrot Research Committee.

Need stacking power?

Discover the ultimate carrot stacking & palletizing solutions.

Do you need the ability to accumulate RPCs or boxes with multiple SKUs? Scan the QR to watch our flagship machine VPM-VHV stack pallets at blistering speeds or visit verbruggen-palletizing.com

CarrotCountry.com

11

Harvest Essentials Buyers’ Guide

ASA-LIFT Harvest Equipment www.asa-lift.com

All ASA-LIFT self-propelled machines are fully custom built to optimize the machine for the individual customer. Bed system, wheel or track sizes, elevator or bunker types, engine brand, etc. are all details to be carefully examined and decided upon before the machines are designed and built.

In this case, the SP-355CFH/I is designed to harvest both processing carrots and fresh market carrots, as well as red beets. It uses the roller bars for fresh and the disc crowning for industry. The harvester has a compact design with a wringing frame construction for perfect stability in the field, and the cabin is placed above the harvesting section, which gives a clear view of the rows. The ASA-BUS 2.0 computer system, with its newly improved design and layout, gives the driver great functions to make the job much more enjoyable.

Disinfecting Services Harvest 6.0 & Bio Ultra

www.disinfectingservices.net

Harvest 6.0 is an EPA-registered, versatile sanitizer and disinfectant labeled for carrots, onions, potatoes and other crops including seed potatoes that are going into storage or already in storage. This product was released as one of the strongest disinfectants labeled for crops on the market. Harvest 6.0 utilizes hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid to protect against fungi, algae and bacteria. The combination of these two ingredients is effective and environmentally friendly. Harvest 6.0 also has been proven to be an effective disinfectant on equipment and cleaning storage facilities.

Bio Ultra is a highly optimized detergent and cleanser with a high-foaming formula that lifts dirt and contaminants off the surface. It penetrates even the most difficult of bio/dirtcoated surfaces to provide exceptional deep cleaning. It is specifically designed for storage and packing facilities but can also be used for cleaning equipment and conveyor belting.

Together, Harvest 6.0 and Bio Ultra provide a cleaning and disinfection combination that ensures facilities are safe for storage and crops are safe against bacteria and fungi.

Kerian Machines Speed Sizer www.kerian.com

The Kerian Speed Sizer sorts carrots by size accurately and consistently. The constantly rotating rollers help the turning flaps align the carrots with the rollers so that the carrots (with or without tops) are consistently sorted by diameter. The sizer is proven in use for fresh carrots, baby carrots and processing lines.

12

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

Rietveld Equipment Polisher

www.rietveldequipment.com

The Allround Polisher TD 350-18 has 18 rolls of brushes with an estimated capacity of 25 tons per hour. Three smaller models are also available. The polishers are available in stainless steel and feature a hydraulic lift for easy cleanout, variable speed control, a water recirculation system and water cleaning system. The machine also offers easy brush removal for changing the brushes, as well as several different types of brushes for each application.

Allround builds all of the machines required in a washing/grading line, and the machines are running in over 80 countries worldwide.

Rietveld Equipment offers free 2D and 3D drawings of full lines, or drawings of the available machines in users’ existing lines.

Parts and machines are in stock at the company’s Midwest facility, and service and support from certified technicians is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Univerco G-Force

www.univerco.net

With the addition of the G-Force model, a two-row three-point mounted on tracks, Univerco now offers a complete range of carrot harvesters. From the Mini-Veg that can be operated by a 60-hp tractor all the way up to the MAC Series of multiple-row, self-propelled and everything in between, Univerco can propose a solution for all needs and farm sizes.

The G-Force is unique in its category because it offers a compact, multiple-row, high performance machine, with a motorized track that will power it through the most difficult field conditions, at a much lower price than a self-propelled machine. State-of-the-art technology supports a user-friendly machine made to work every day for carrot growers.

Vogel Engineering Inc. Custom-Built Harvesting Equipment www.vogel-engineering.com

Made in the U.S., Vogel Engineering harvesters offer features such as a precision computer-controlled planting population system and individual row head height adjustability. Plus, the company offers a new Extreme Super Cleaning System.

Harvesters are available in two-, three-, four-, six- and eight-row configurations.

Other available options include conventional roller bars or high-speed crowning.

Volm Companies Visar Sortop Carrot Revolution

www.volmcompanies.com/equipment/visar-sortop-carrots

Volm Companies is the official North American distributor of the Visar Sortop Carrot Sorting System. This system will reduce labor costs while increasing the quality of the final product.

The Visar’s image capture system utilizes mirrors and powerful circular lighting to provide a 360-degree grading and sizing of each carrot. This guarantees the highest sorting quality and grading precision. The Visar sorting software is user friendly and provides many options to allow users to easily change product specifications.

Sortop Carrots has a new infeed system known as the “Revolution” that nearly doubles the original carrot capacity. Carrots are conveyed onto a turntable-style entry system. The rotation of the turntable creates a centrifugal force singulation and alignment of the carrots with high efficiency.

CarrotCountry.com

13

Seeds of Cultivar Improvement

By Bill Rolling and Phil Simon, USDA-ARS Vegetable Crop Research Unit

U

SDA researchers are taking a close look at exactly what makes some carrot seeds germinate better than others in an effort to ultimately breed cultivars with improved germination. The work starts with the USDA carrot germplasm collection, which contains seed of more than 1,800 carrot accessions from around the world. This collection is a tremendous resource for carrot cultivar improvement because it contains incredible genetic diversity representing novel traits for improved environmental stress tolerance, pest and disease resistance, and beneficial plant physiology.

In 2016, a USDA project was initiated to identify beneficial traits in the USDA carrot collection and to use “fingerprints” found in the genetic data to efficiently introduce novel traits into production cultivars. The traits studied as part of this project were selected based on a survey of carrot industry stakeholders. Over 80 percent of the respondents of this survey were interested in improved germination.

This is an important trait to emphasize because strong germination and stand establishment can reduce weed pressure without additional herbicide application, and consistent stands result in more harvestable roots.

The USDA carrot germplasm collection is a great place to look for novel traits relating to strong germination and stand establishment. With this goal, over 700 accessions from the USDA carrot germplasm collection were grown in Hancock, Wisconsin, to determine if there is variation for germination and to provide initial observations of accessions that are strong or weak germinators.

germination in cultivars; and (2) test if seeds’ traits such as size, shape or weight can be used to identify higher quality seeds with higher germination.

A total of 225 carrot accessions from the USDA collection are included in the study to identify parents to include in breeding programs targeting higher germination.

Germination is highly complex, affected by genetics, the environment, and interactions between genetics and the environment. For this reason, seeds are being produced in a controlled greenhouse environment with each of the accessions represented by three to six individual plants.

Seeds were harvested in 2021, and a second replication of seeds is being produced in 2022. With this experimental design, the practicality of breeding for this

trait can be estimated, while at the same time identifying those accessions that can be sources of improved germination. Once produced, seeds will be tested as to how well the seeds germinate in a controlled environment under optimal conditions, as well as challenging conditions including cool and overly warm temperatures.

Role of Seed Characteristics

Ten inbred varieties from the USDA carrot breeding program were used in experiments to estimate the relationship between seed characteristics and stand establishment. The seeds of these inbreds were quality “graded” by passing seeds through soil sieves to separate larger seeds and smaller seeds, followed by weighing the seeds. Seeds were considered high quality when they were

Despite differing field performance, quality-graded seeds have similar viability in controlled growth germination experiments. Controlled environment germination trials are testing for relationships between seed characteristics, such as size and weight, and germination percentages. Similar experiments will be completed to identify accessions from the USDA germplasm collection with high germination in suboptimal conditions such as cold or hot temperatures.

Search for Strong Germinators

Preliminary results from that previous project led to the current study titled “Screening Diverse Carrot Germplasm for Improved Germination and Seed Characteristics” funded by USDA-NIFA (#2020-10758). There are two major parts of this project: (1) identify accessions from the USDA carrot collection that germinate exceptionally and can be used to improve 14

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

High Quality

Low Quality

Control

Harvestable Root Number 90 80 70 60 50

X

40

X

30

X

20 10 0

High Quality

Control

Low Quality

High quality seeds produced a significantly larger number of harvestable roots than low quality seeds. Seeds from each of 10 inbred varieties from the USDA carrot breeding program were quality graded or randomly sampled and grown in El Centro, Calif., from October 2021 through March 2022.

High quality graded seeds produced significantly more harvestable roots than low quality graded seeds for inbred 12’B310-IF grown in El Centro, Calif., from October 2021 through March 2022.

Low Quality

High Quality

larger and heavier and low quality when smaller. The germination and stand establishment of quality-graded seeds are being compared to a random sample of seed when grown in Hancock, Wisconsin, and El Centro, California.

Germination and carrot canopy height measurements were taken throughout the 2021 season at Hancock, Wisconsin.

There, the high quality and low quality seeds germinated similarly. This matched results from a controlled environment germination experiment where qualitygraded seeds had similar viability, though the lower quality/smaller seeds did germinate at a slightly lower percentage.

Despite similar germination, this single year of results indicated that the high quality seeds were producing larger seedlings that were developing more quickly over the first six weeks of the growing season.

In El Centro, California, measurements were taken at the end of the growing season, with the number of harvestable roots acting as a proxy for stand establishment. Here, the high quality grade out-produced the low quality grade, and a significantly larger number of harvestable roots were produced.

This research will continue throughout 2022-23 to replicate the experiments completed in 2021. We look forward to sharing the final results of this project in 2023.

Support ag industry journalism.

Subscribe to Carrot Country today! www.carrotcountry.com/ subscribe or Call 503-724-3581

CarrotCountry.com

15

Carrot Grading & Packaging Equipment For Sale

• Hedge Hog Conveyor & Frame With Cross Conveyor • Cyclone Destoner • 1 Bin Tipper 60” w x 50” D x 51” H, 2-ton capacity • Jacuzzi with conveyor • Gooseneck Rinse Elevator for Newtec, Celox Optical Grader, 5 Cross Conveyors, Catwalks • Bin filler • Inspection Table 36”x120” • 1 Wet Hopper with Conveyor to feed Newtec Weigher • Newtec Weigher 12 Head • 1 Newtec Poly Wicket Bagger with funnels • 1 Kwik Lok Auto Bag Closer • 2 Printers, Viajet L series 12 to print Kwik Loks includes 1 touch screen • 1 Trimming Conveyor for carrots & parsnips • Conveyor 24” x 140” • Conveyor 19”x 202” • Conveyor 16”x 300” • Conveyor 187”x144”, Reversible • Touch Screen Control Panel to operate carrot line • Water Recycling System All Items Above Are Stainless Steel Construction • HOAF Propane Weed Burner 4 row • Einbocl 20’ Tine Weeder • Kult-Kress Cultivator Dual Implements with hilling discs

Contact Gerald 902-393-4805

redsoilorganics@hotmail.com 16

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

NEW PRODUCTS

New Weather Station Improves Irrigation Efficiency

A new tool available for the 2022 season, the KestrelMet 6000 AG Weather Station, has been designed to help farmers improve irrigation efficiency.

The on-site monitoring system provides growers with access to localized, live weather data they can use to optimize irrigation and production on a field-by-field basis. The KestrelMet 6000 AG measures temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, dew point, barometric pressure and rainfall. Starting at $1,299, the system can be customized with additional sensors to monitor soil moisture and temperature, leaf wetness and solar irradiance.

Visit www.kestrelmet.com/agriculture-weatherstations.

Certis Rolls Out New Nematicide

Certis Biologicals has launched MeloCon LC, a water-dispersible concentrate containing spores from a naturally occurring soil fungus which controls a variety of harmful nematodes at every lifecycle stage.

The improved liquid concentrate formulation of MeloCon LC provides greater convenience in storage, handling and tank-mixing and allows for application flexibility when fumigant and conventional chemistries cannot be applied, according to Certis.

MeloCon LC is labeled for use in all states except California, with registration pending.

Visit www.certisbio.com.

T-L Irrigation Introduces Pivot Options

T-L Irrigation Co. has introduced a gooseneck cradle corner system attachment option and a simplified auto-reverse system to add stability and durability to two pivot locations.

The gooseneck corner cradle option drops the corner connection point by 24 inches. This lowers the corner span’s center of gravity, allowing for greater stability on steep terrain and in areas with high winds or frequent severe storm activity, according to the company.

The simplified auto-reverse system incorporates over-centered actuation arms to change the position of the reversing valve. The over-center feature assures snap action and full engagement of the reversing valve. The arms have also been moved farther up the tower to prevent damage.

Visit www.tlirr.com.

Carrot Cartoon

© 2020 Jonny Hawkins

“Oh - You really do love me! It’s a twelve carrot ring!”

­

For more information contact: Merek Dorf | m.dorf@rijkzwaan.com

Rijk Zwaan USA & Canada | rijkzwaanusa.com

CarrotCountry.com

17

IN THE NEWS

Sakata Seed America Expands in Mexico Sakata Seed America is continuing its infrastructure expansion with the purchase of 35 acres of land in Culiacan, Mexico. Sakata Seed has been leasing the land and facilities for the past three years. Significant growth in the region led to the decision to secure a permanent location in Culiacan, home to many global seed breeding companies.

According to Sakata, this acquisition of land and newly expanded infrastructure will improve the company’s breeding, sales, marketing and production efforts in the growing Mexico market. The site will be called the Culiacan Innovation Center and will serve as a central research and development (R&D) hub for Sakata in Mexico and Central America and allow for further collaboration with the company’s four other R&D stations in North America.

CALENDAR

ADVERTISER INDEX

• •

Asa-Lift......................... 5 Aug. 29-30 International Carrot Conference Mt. Vernon, Wash.

Sheri Nolan, snolan@agmgt.com www.internationalcarrots.org

Bejo ............................. 9 Brookfield Gardens .... 16 Ferticell ........................ 7 Gwillimdale Farms ....... 9

Nov. 16-17 Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Conference and Trade Show Three Rivers Convention Center Kennewick, Wash.

Sheri Nolan, (509) 585-5460 www.pnva.org

Editor’s note: To have your event listed, please email Denise Keller, at editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com.

Please send your information 90 days in advance.

Kerian ........................ 19 Pop Vriend ................. 19 Rietveld Equipment ..... 2 Rijk Zwaan ................. 17 Univerco ...................... 3 Verbruggen ................ 11 Vogel.......................... 20

18

Carrot Country

•

Summer 2022

New kids on the block Olancha & Jacinto When growing carrots for the fresh market in the USA, it’s all about taste, seed uniformity and suitability for

mechanical sowing and harvesting. By the development of Jacinto and Olancha, these characteristics were at center stage. Find out everything about our carrot varieties on popvriendseeds.com/usa/carrots

OLANCHA

OFFICIAL DEALERS

I M P E R AT O R C U T & P E E L

�

VERY HIGH FIELD DUR ABILIT Y AND UNIFORMIT Y

�

G R E AT F L AV O R

� �

HIGHER PROCESSING PERFORMANCE G O O D T O P AT TA C H M E N T

JACINTO �

E X C E L L E N T F L AV O R

�

GOOD CORE DEFINITION

� �

Pine Higgins Technical Carrot Advisor +1 (831) 524-0161 phiggins@popvriendseeds.com popvriendseeds.com/usa pine_popvriendseeds

I M P E R AT O R C E L L O

G R E AT D U R A B I L I T Y A N D U N I F O R M I T Y S T R O N G H E A LT H Y T O P S

KERIAN SIZER

ACCURATE:

Precisely orients and sorts carrots

GENTLE:

Separates without damaging carrots

FAST:

Thirteen standard models custom-designed to meet your needs sort from 1000 lb/hr to 30,000 lb/hr

SIMPLE:

Effective but simple design provides a rugged, low cost, low maintenance machine at a high value to our customers.

It can even be used in the field!

Orients & positions carrots

Carrot Sizing Video Now Available: www.kerian.com

KERIAN MACHINES INC. 1709 Hwy 81 S, PO Box 311, Grafton, ND USA 58237

701-352-0480 • sales@kerian.com Fax 701-352-3776

CarrotCountry.com

19

New! Extreme Super Cleaning System 3 to 4 times better cleaning than any other system

Custom Built Harvesting Equipment Carrots — Pickles

We offer a computer (digital processor) individual row head height system 2, 3, 4, 6 & 8 Rows Conventional Roller Bar or High Speed Crowning.

Precision Computer Controlled Planting Population Systems

LEADER IN CARROT HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY BUILT IN THE U.S.A.

For More Information Phone:

ST THE BE D L I U B !

WE HE REST T X I F D AN Between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST

(231) 821-2125 Ask for Wayne

Fax (231) 821-0275 www.vogel-engineering.com