Equipment
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Hurricanes can cause severe damage to greenhouse structures and crops, both directly and indirectly. Strong winds, heavy rains, and flooding not only impact physical infrastructure, but also damage crops through exposure to extreme conditions. Additionally, disruptions to water, electricity, and logistics complicate production efforts.
This publication outlines common types of hurricane damage in greenhouses and provides recommendations on how growers can minimize the impact of such storms.|
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Transplanting is the process in which seedlings are transferred from a specific place where they were sown to the soil where they will develop and produce. This process is an extremely important step in fruit and vegetable production as it helps with the initial establishment of the crop. Mechanical transplanters have emerged as important agricultural machines for farmers, and are designed to automate and optimize the transplanting process.
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A soil test is a chemical technique used to determine the status of available nutrients in a soil sample. It is a common method used to predict how soils will react to the addition of lime or fertilizer and calculate how much of each is required for crop production.
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Use this publication to calculate planting densities, fertilizer application rates, sprayer calibration, and soil amendment applications using unit conversions. We demonstrate the “raw math” behind common calculations to provide you with the tools for solving any equation using simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. No longer will you be dependent on having production guides, fertilizer charts, planter manuals, and spray nozzle catalogs to tell you what to do.
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Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an important nutrient-dense leafy green, and its annual per capita consumption has significantly increased over the past decades. Spinach production in Georgia has experienced significant growth in the last few years, with over $400M in annual value, ranked first among all the other leafy green crops. Field spinach production is labor intensive, and the cost of weed management, harvest, and post-harvest accounts for 56% of the production cost. With the advantages of controlled environment agriculture in reducing labor costs and increasing production value with an extended growing cycle, hydroponic spinach has been gradually accepted and planted on a large scale.
Spinach is a cool season crop typically seeded during early spring or early fall. Summer season is often skipped because of pressure from insects, diseases, and weeds. Additionally, the optimal temperature for spinach seed germination is 65-70°F (18-21°C), and for spinach growth is 60-77°F (15-25°C). However, there is the possibility to grow spinach during summer in the greenhouse using a deep water culture hydroponics system that can minimize these pressures by focusing on heat-tolerant cultivar selection, germination improvement, and optimal hydroponic system implementation.
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This publication describes how a passive solar greenhouse was constructed using an earthen wall and water barrels for heat retention. The benefits and potential pitfalls of such a structure are discussed. Additional authors include Alexandra Williams, Syngenta, U.S.A, and Krista Jacobsen, Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky.
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High levels of dust in cage-free poultry house air can carry airborne microorganisms and endotoxins that, once inhaled, may trigger respiratory diseases in animals and/or their caretakers. Mitigating dust levels is imperative to protecting the health and well-being of the animals and their caretakers and improving the environmental stewardship of cage-free layer farms. Studies have concluded that good manure management and proper ventilation can alleviate dust problems. Mitigation strategies have various levels of effectiveness, but some are cost prohibitive. Selecting the right dust control strategy should consider poultry types, housing design, local climate, and litter/bedding management strategies.
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Pulse width modulation (PWM) technology is becoming a standard option on most new agricultural sprayers because of its ability to precisely regulate both flow rate and pressure over a wide range of travel speeds. This publication provides information on nozzle selection for sprayers equipped with PWM technology, including how to use PWM nozzle selection/tabulation charts, other useful online tools, and considerations for effective pesticide applications.
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C 1208
Chainsaw Chains and Bars
The action end of a chainsaw, or the part that cuts, is made of the bar and the chain. Chainsaw chains come in many sizes and configurations and not all saws can handle all bars. To make the right choices for the job, a saw operator should be aware of the cutter type, pitch, gauge, and cutter configuration when purchasing a chain or a chainsaw.
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