Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association

In the May 2014 Badger Common’Tater

Wisconsin Maintains Top Ranking in Snap Beans for Processing

Wisconsin maintained its number one ranking in production of processing snap beans. The state processed 45 percent of the nation’s crop, with 298,570 tons in 2013. Harvested acres were down from 70,700 acres in 2012 to 59,800 acres in 2013. Nationally, snap bean production fell 11 percent due to a sharp drop in acres harvested.

Wisconsin remained in second place in the nation for total production and value of production and third place for harvested acreage for the major processing vegetables in 2013, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Vegetables report.  California remained the number one state in all three categories and accounted for 71 percent of the total production of these vegetables.  Read the May 2014 Badger Common’Tater for more information about Wisconsin’s rank in the nation’s vegetable production.

Harvesting Snap BeansHarvesting snap beans in a Central Wisconsin field.  Wisconsin ranks number one in snap beans for processing with 45% of the nation’s crop in 2013.

Balancing Yields and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in High Yielding Snap Bean

By Matt Ruark, UW Dept. of Soil Science and Ying Wang, UW Dept. of Horticulture

Recent research has indicated that the current UW guidelines for nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates for snap bean may need to be revised. As listed in the UWEX A2809 (Nutrient application guidelines for field, vegetable, and fruit crops in Wisconsin) and A3422 (Commercial vegetable production in Wisconsin), for soils with 0 to 2% organic matter, the N recommendation for snap bean is 60 lb/ac.  Sandy soils in our Centrals Sands region are likely to be in this range. This recommendation is for yields up to 6.5 ton/ac.

Research conducted at the Del Monte Research Farm in Plover, Wisconsin from 2010 to 2012 suggests that most root rot resistant varieties required 100 lb-N/ac to maximize yields. This includes 20 lb-N/ac in the starter fertilizer and 80 lb-N/ac split applied during the first month of plant growth. What is interesting to note is that the maximum yields are 50 to 100% greater than 6.5 ton/ac and thus, these expected yields are outside of the current recommendations. Thus, updated recommendations for high yielding snap bean is required and I am suggesting here that an optimum N rate would be 80 to 100 lb/ac.  For the full story, read The Badger Beat column in the May 2014 issue of The Badger Common’Tater.

Snap Beans

Spudmobile on Road to Completion

Promotions Committee Members with WI SpudmobilePictured in front of the newly-purchased Spudmobile are Promotions Committee members (L-R) Marc Stalter, Chris Brooks and Andy Diercks.  The Spudmobile will be a major focus of the WPVGA’s promotional programming in 2014 and beyond.

One new “attendee” at this year’s WPVGA Promotions Retreat never even stepped inside the reserved meeting space. Instead, it remained in a reserved area of the parking lot. Thanks to a significant amount of collaboration and teamwork on behalf of the Promotions Committee, the Spudmobile made it from Michigan to Wisconsin just days before the retreat.

Promotions Committee member Chris Brooks of Central Door Solutions, brought the RV back to Wisconsin, and says it was a bit overwhelming the first time he sat in the driver’s seat. “I settled in to look everything over and got the feeling of accomplishment. I was about to start us out on a journey that originated from the vision and work of so many,” Brooks says.

“We really appreciated being able to see and walk through the Spudmobile at the Promotions Retreat,” said Chairman Mike Gatz with Bushmans’ Inc. “Doing so gave everyone a different perspective and the ability to envision where we wanted the interior elements to go in order to offer the most fun and exciting educational experience possible.”

For more details, check out the May 2014 edition of The Badger Common’Tater.

 

 

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