Fruit and Vegetable News

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, Food safety Your hard-working wash and packing line equipment might be seeing a lot of carrots and their soil these days. Hygienic design is the principles of equipment design with cleanability in mind so that the excess soil and filth does not build up on the equipment. All equipment that you use during postharvest activities on the farm such as conveyors, barrel washers, brush washers, dunk tanks and spray tables can be assessed with hygienic design in mind.  Bacteria are very, very tiny. They can survive in small bumps, cracks and welds in equipment and tools. If given the right conditions (water, warmth, humidity, oxygen), bacteria can grow exponentially and form a "biofilm", which is a layer of slime. Picture the slime that builds up on a fishbowl or your dog's water bowl; that is from secretions from microorganisms. The goal is to design and purchase your equipment with easy cleaning in mind to avoid the accumulation of this bi...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator food safety  What are the risks with animals?  Cats are often welcome farm pets,  but should not be allowed to roam in the growing area Image: Produce Safety Alliance Fresh fruits and vegetables are grown in soil, under the sky and near both wild and domestic animals, so there is always a risk of contamination from bacteria, viruses and parasites that can transfer to your fresh produce from these animals and their feces. Virtually all animals can carry human pathogens. Large numbers of animals means more risks because they produce large amounts of fecal matter; this could enter fields through run-off, contaminated irrigation water, airborne particles, direct deposit or insects.  Animal fecal material can contain bacteria like  Salmonella ,  E coli 0157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes that can make people sick with serious illness and complications, especially the young, old, and people with compromised immune systems. T...

 Authors: Annie Klodd and Natalie Hoidal - Extension Educators-Fruit and Vegetable Production Winter squash leaves with mottling and a yellow-green mosaic, characteristic of a virus. Photo: Annie Klodd Last week, we responded to a disease inquiry in a pumpkin field, and found symptoms that looked like a mosaic virus. We immediately sent the samples to the UMN Plant Disease Clinic, and they promptly diagnosed the plants with Squash Mosaic Virus (SqMV).  Additionally, Natalie found SqMV and watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) earlier in the summer, on several farms. If you suspect a virus on your crop, do not hesitate to send samples to the UMN Plant Disease Clinic or another diagnostic clinic for diagnosis. Viruses cannot reliably be self-diagnosed in the field, as visual symptoms can look similar among the various mosaic viruses.  Squash mosaic virus on zucchini. Photo: Anna Racer, Waxwing Farm. Squash mosaic virus on zucchini, near Webster, MN. Photo: Natalie Hoidal. Knowing w...

Authors: Chryseis Modderman, Extension Educator, Melissa Wilson, Extension Specialist, Annalisa Hultburg, Extension Educator Fall manure applications are right around the corner, so here are some reminders on best practices to make accurate applications and avoid nutrient loss. Application tips  Sample your manure and get it tested . Manure is a variable product so knowing the actual nutrients in the manure is important for accurate application. Don’t trust the “book value” manure nutrient tables. Those are just estimates and averages, and your manure almost definitely differs in nutrient content. A basic manure test will tell you the N, P, and K content as well as the moisture content; add-on tests can tell you about micronutrients and secondary macronutrients.  You can learn more about accurate sampling by visiting our Manure sampling and nutrient analysis page. Test your soil. While we’re on the subject of nutrient analysis sampling, you will also need to have a recent anal...