Bell peppers, sweet corn and butternut squash were evaluated in 2014. New Ace produced the greatest yield however, New Ace, Ace, JPR632, JPR1124, and JPR1127 tended to produce mostly medium size fruit having irregular shapes and thin walls. Declaration, Revolution, and Vanguard produced greater numbers of jumbo and extra large fruit. AristotleX3R, Currier, Revolution and […]
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In recent years, Maine blueberry growers have benefited greatly from weather-based estimates that inform critically important pest management decisions. However, the high cost to operate on-site weather stations to provide input for these estimates may not be sustainable. Since 1997, the Maine apple industry has used farm-specific weather values based on interpolation between measurements at […]
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Garlic is an important crop in Maine for over 70 commercial growers representing all 16 counties (http://www.mofga.org/). Most garlic producers in Maine are market gardeners producing many crops. However, the contribution to farm income from garlic is disproportionably large when compared to the area planted. There are several garlic growers in Maine that have over […]
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Endophyte-infected forages consumed by beef cattle and other livestock can cause lameness, poor gains, reduced milk production and abortion. The economic impact on Maine’s $142 Million livestock industry could be high. Cattle fed endophyte-infected forages could experience 34% reduction in pregnancy rates, 50% reduction in average daily gains or 50% reduction in milk production. In […]
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Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi), causes potentially fatal respiratory disease in horses, and Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) causes potentially fatal infections in humans. A study was undertaken to determine the survival of these organisms in equine compost. Compost piles of equine bedding and feed waste were inoculated with S. zooepidemicus and samples […]
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Two studies were conducted to investigate the microbial characteristics of raw fiddleheads to determine if microbial levels and heavy metal concentrations vary depending on location and to determine thermal processing effects on microbial load and quality of fiddleheads. Fiddleheads were harvested from 5 Maine riverbanks and 3 upland wooded sites. Two separate studies were conducted […]
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Tomatoes were grown in high tunnels in 2014 at two location in NH (Durham & N Haverhill) and at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth ME, using the same fertility plot design: 2 rates of Nitrogen (275 or 630 Lbs/Acre) and, depending on location, 6 or 7 rates of Potassium (0 to 1000 Lbs/Acre), using organic nutrient […]
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Local food is not only in demand at farmers’ markets, through community-supported agriculture (CSA), and other direct-to-consumer channels; it is also in demand in schools, hospitals, restaurants or any place where food is purchased. In a meeting organized by the Somerset Economic Development Corporation in October 2013, the need to increase the penetration of local […]
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