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DELTA, Ohio – Looking
for ways to make drip irrigating field tomatoes more cost-effective,
Jim, Jerry and Chris
McDonnall of McDonnall Farms have been experimenting with
fertigation. The 2005 tomato crop will be their second year
of trials with the process.
The McDonnalls grow approximately
250 acres of processing tomatoes in the Delta, Ohio area
each year, along with field
corn and soybeans. The tomatoes are contracted with Red
Gold, out of central Indiana.
Jim and Jerry are brothers; Chris
is Jim’s son.
In an effort to protect their
tomatoes against short-rainfall years, the McDonnalls are
using supplemental irrigation.
Seventy-five to 100 acres of their tomato crop is under
drip, an experiment that began four or five years ago and
has been a big help, especially during low-rainfall years.
A traveling unit is available for use in other fields.
The growers prefer the drip but have struggled to justify
its cost—approximately $100 per acre.
“After going to the expense of putting down tape, if
we do get adequate rain, it’s hard to feel good about
the added investment,” Chris admits. “You may only
use the tape two or three times and, under such circumstance,
it is difficult to see any bottom line advantage.”
Looking
for ways to make the investment more cost-effective, the
family turned to their local supplier who suggested fertigating
their crop through their drip system. At the dealer’s
recommendation, they also used Rootfeed™ and Harvest
More Urea Mate™ products from Stoller Chemical Company,
Houston, Texas.
The 2004 tomato crop was the first test for
the experiment, and, despite a learning curve, the McDonnalls
are optimistic
about future benefits. The drip tape now plays an enhanced
role in their production tool portfolio, even when there
is adequate natural moisture. There is no need for additional
trips through the field during the year to make sure the
crop is adequately fertilized.
The cultural practice in the
past has been to plant the crop, wait a few days, cultivate
and then side dress with a fertilizer
application, Chris says. When fertilizing with drip tape,
the recommended practice has been to place the tape immediately
after planting to ensure needed moisture. However, the
growers soon discovered that, under their circumstances,
there were
good reasons to do things differently. The recommendations
they were following were based on fertigating through drip
lines placed under plastic mulches.
“Our hope was that we could use fertigation to replace
the early fertilizer side dressing applied in the past,” Chris
says, “however, when the drip tape was put down immediately
after planting, it became impossible to cultivate between
the rows.”
Traditionally, the McDonnalls plant two
rows of tomatoes, 18 inches apart, on raised beds. They
would then wait10 days
and lay the tape, positioned above ground, between the
rows.
Weed Control a Challenge
“For weed control, we like to cultivate between the rows
with a shovel, when the plants are still small,” he explains.
“Unfortunately, last year, when we positioned the tape
immediately after planting, we discovered we were no longer
able to cultivate
between the rows. You can’t go after the weeds with
a hoe for fear of cutting the tape. It was just too early
to place the tape. We ended up fighting weeds throughout
the season..”
Despite that learning experience, Chris
says the family is optimistic that this coming season they
can tweak the system
and make things work. The first tomato plantings begin
between the first and tenth of May, when there is less danger
of
a serious frost. The balance are planted through June 15
to insure the processor will have a continuous supply over
the six- to eight-week harvest season. system and make
things work. The first tomato plantings begin between the
first
and tenth of May, when there is less danger of a serious
frost. The balance are planted through June 15 to insure
the processor will have a continuous supply over the six-
to eight-week harvest season.
Having learned from their experiences
in 2004, the McDonnalls currently plan on planting the
crop, according to the accustomed
schedule, only reverting back to side dressing the crop
for its early fertilizer needs. Following that, they plan
to
wait three weeks and then place the tape. That way, they
can take care of the early cultivation and fertigate the
crop through the tape through the balance of the growing
season.
“Last year was not a wet year, but we still ended up
with plenty of moisture,” Chris remembers. “While
we did not have to use the tape to augment moisture levels
like you would during a dry year, we were able to use it
to fertigate the crop. We saw a definite increase in yields
in the fields fertigated, anywhere from four tons per acre
to as high as seven or eight tons.”
Tomato yields on
the farm also vary from field to field because of differences
in the soil as well as varieties grown, the
growers note.
The McDonnalls acknowledge that 2004 was the
first year in their on-going trial with fertigation and the
use of Rootfeed™ and
Harvest More Urea Mate™ The coming year brings with
a new opportunity to see if the gains hold up.
“Most years here, we are going to get some rain,” Chris
points out, “and you may go two or three weeks without
turning the pump on at all. After that, it’s important
to add some fertilizer, so you turn the pump on just long
enough to push the fertilizer through the tape. Under such
conditions, we’re not trying to saturate the ground.
Other years, however, especially if the ground is dry, we’ll
be putting water on constantly. The system operates in zones,
and you may finish covering all of your zones only to find
it’s time to begin all over again.”
Because there
was good moisture in 2004, the tape lines were not used
for irrigation that frequently, but, when they were,
they also were carrying nutrients to the plants, Chris
says.
With the use of irrigation, the McDonnalls typically
see their tomato yields in the high 30-ton range. With
certain varieties, it is not uncommon to achieve yields in
the
50- and 60-ton range, but the overall average is generally
in
the high 30s.
“Some of the varieties we plant are not big yielders,” Chris
points out. “Most often, these are special varieties
for whole packing, where the tomatoes are harvested, peeled
and then diced. While the yields on these are lower, the
processor compensates offering growers a higher return per
ton.”Reprinted from February 2005 The Tomato Magazine
with permission from Columbia Publishing & Design 417
North 20th Avenue Yakima, WA 98902 1-800-900-2452  Download
Article in PDF format »
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