To quote a local row-crop grower who started to grow vegetables last year, “Row crops are elementary school and vegetables are college-level.”
Again, I say if vegetables were easy to grow everyone would be doing it. You must think ahead and prepare when it comes to weeds, insects, and diseases. Don’t think you are going down to the local row-crop chemical dealer and get the product you need.
To quote another vegetable grower who called a few local dealers, “They had no clue what it was, did not have it, and didn’t care if they did or didn’t.” Most vegetable growers are small and can’t afford to buy things in bulk. Many row-crop products have the same active ingredient as vegetable products but have different labels and you must follow the label – “The Label is the Law.” Why?
First, row crops and vegetables react differently to chemicals, fertilizers, and how they are applied. “Another Crop Bites the Dust” from spreader/stickers. Just this past week, one farmer burned up a 30-acre squash field and another farmer a 100-acre cucumber field by adding too much spreader/sticker when applying chemicals to their crops. I have seen too many farmers sing this sad song.
Be careful and know what you are doing when adding a sticker/spreader when spraying vegetables. Short-season, tender vegetable crops will burn very easy in our heat and do not have time to come back like long-season row crops.
When I first became a county agent, I visited a farmer who said he did what was recommended and followed label directions and put 5 pounds of a foliar fertilizer per acre and burned up his cucumber crop. I once told a row-crop farmer that it would take him 10 years to learn vegetables and during that time everything would change three times, and he reminds me this every time he makes a mistake.
Next, along with the different labels also comes a significant increase in price. Many say this is for companies to make money. Yes, you are right, but think. It costs the company a lot to money to get that label so you would have a product to use. The company has a lot of risk because row crops typically cost less than $500 an acre and vegetables cost many thousands, and don’t forget people love to sue. Some vegetable diseases like cucurbit downy mildew are very difficult to control. The disease swoops up from its Florida overwintering home around the first of July and ravages our cucumber, squash, and cantaloupe crops. Only a few chemicals will control it and one cost around $300 a quart. Also, some vegetable insects like the Coragen-resistant diamondback moth are difficult and expensive, and require specific control measures.
Finally, labels do not only contain application instructions but much needed information like days-to-harvest and other safety concerns. Don’t forget you are growing, managing, and marketing people’s food. People’s health, happiness, and lives are at stake. Again, I say, people love to sue.
The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
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August 23, 2020 at 11:30AM
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TONY MELTON: More on growing vegetables - SCNow
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