When a flight took us to the Midwest, in the vicinity of Rietveld Equipment, we took the opportunity for another road trip. A new showroom, built to display and demo the company’s post-harvest equipment, was available for touring.
A boxing machine is on display at Rietveld Equipment.
We were able to see brand new machines set in place, not yet wired. But visitors will soon be able to test drive this same equipment as potatoes are washed, sorted and boxed on site.
John, Rhonda and Nick Rietveld sell as many as 6,000 ears of corn a day from their farm stand in northern Illinois.
Run by father and son John and Nick Rietveld, the company sells individual pieces of equipment, but can also design and build complete packing facilities.
New post-harvest machinery on display at Rietveld Equipment will be wired and processing spuds this year, giving customers an up-close look at how the equipment works.
The Rietveld family has grown onion sets and sweet corn for five generations on their own or rented property about 60 miles south of Chicago. Due to an ever-decreasing retail market, Canadian competition, increasing input costs and lack of labor, the Rietvelds made the tough decision in 2023 to quit growing onion sets. They continue to grow sweet corn and sell it at their own farm stand, along with salsa and other locally grown produce. Nick said people drive from up to two hours away to buy their corn and salsa, and they sell as many as 6,000 ears of corn a day.
Spare parts are in stock at Rietveld Equipment to keep customers up and running.
Cutting some acreage from their farm’s day-to-day routine has opened up more time for John and Nick to spend on Rietveld Equipment. They sell, service and install top-notch machines from European manufacturers including Meconaf, Allround, Upmann, VHM, IPLA, Teneco and Intec.
John (left) and Nick Rietveld operate Rietveld Equipment, U.S. dealers of European-built post-harvest equipment.
By Jed Colquhoun, Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Managing weeds in carrots has always been a significant challenge for several reasons. First, the crop itself is a tortoise racing against weeds that are like hares. Carrots emerge very slowly and non-uniformly, particularly in cool weather, and often take several weeks to form a canopy that can compete with weeds. Secondly, control options are limited. Early-season cultivation is challenging, given that the weeds grow faster than the carrots, creating a size differential where early cultivation puts the crop at risk of “cultivator blight,” while waiting for the crop to size up to minimize that risk allows weeds to grow beyond the capabilities of tillage. Herbicide options, like in many minor crops, are limited to only a few viable tools, some of which are further restricted where groundwater contamination risk is high. Hand-weeding is excessively expensive, if labor is even available, and not a realistic long-term option across large acreages.
In most carrot producing regions, including the Upper Midwest U.S., weed control challenges are increasing exponentially with widespread selection for herbicide-resistant weeds. In the Upper Midwest, this is particularly true for Amaranthus species such as redroot pigweed and, more recently, waterhemp. Weeds resistant to the photosystem II (PSII) herbicide site of action are especially problematic, given that three of the most common herbicide active ingredients used in carrot fall in that group: linuron, metribuzin and prometryn. Waterhemp resistance to seven herbicides sites of action has now been reported globally, including multiple populations with resistance to six sites of action in individual plants. Some more recent cases include metabolic resistance, such as to the active ingredient s-metolachlor that is used in carrots, where resistant waterhemp uses generalist enzymes found in most organisms to detoxify or “digest” the herbicide and other plant stressors. While metabolic resistance sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, it’s real and happening, and it means that these amped-up weeds can metabolize herbicides that have never been sprayed on them before – or have yet to be invented.
On the left, a slow-growing carrot cultivar seeded early in a conventional three-row bed competes poorly with weeds, compared with a cultivar that emerges and forms a canopy rapidly in a late-seeded five-row bed on the right.
Management Strategies
So what does this mean for the future of carrot weed management? By necessity, it will be different and will need to incorporate new strategies that complement or are alternatives to current herbicides. With that said, there are several “low-hanging fruit” strategies that can be adopted with minimal additional inputs or cost. Here, we outline a few of these strategies from a compilation of studies we have conducted in Wisconsin over the last several years, including a large factorial study that investigated carrot cultivar choice, row density, seeding timing and use of plant growth regulators to stimulate canopy development.
Go fishing. Yes, you read that correctly! By far, our best weed control across the season happened when we delayed seeding for two weeks (from late April to mid-May in Wisconsin). Carrot emergence was much faster and more complete in warmer mid-May conditions than late April and, as a result, the crop canopy closed earlier and suppressed weeds. We’re not alone in this observation; similar results have been reported by Canadian researchers, and growers note anecdotally that later planted carrots have far fewer weed issues than their earlier plantings.
Choose competitive cultivars. Carrots, like most crops, have traditionally been bred for end-use characteristics: high usable yield and good quality. Resources that plants put into below-ground growth can come at the cost of foliar growth. For example, in related research, we found that potato canopy development was much more complete in the original Russet Burbank line from 1885 compared to modern cultivars, and this impacted their ability to tolerate or suppress weeds. We’ve had similar observations in our work with carrot breeders. So, choose a variety that emerges rapidly, grows quickly and forms a complete canopy, without compromising yield and desirably with good foliar disease resistance; the results are like mulching the ground but with the carrot canopy that intercepts light, water and nutrients before they reach weeds.
Increase the number of rows per bed. There are two benefits to this approach. First, denser plantings suppress weeds well. Second, in a system where most inputs are broadcast such as irrigation, crop protectants and fertilizer, the system is simply more efficient, where a grower can get more yield out of the same amount of land and inputs. Why pay for fertilizer, water and other inputs that weeds can use but not the crops? Just be sure to pick a carrot cultivar with good foliar disease resistance; dense plantings can become a plant pathogen humidor of sorts. And it’s acknowledged that increasing the number of seeded rows per bed requires planter and harvester equipment changes that are extremely costly, so maybe this is a consideration when it’s time for new steel in the field.
New Technology
Looking forward, weed management in minor crops is on the verge of a paradigm change. There simply aren’t a lot of new herbicide sites of action or even new active ingredients coming along. Meanwhile, great advances are being made in practical applications of remote sensing, automated robotics and alternative control tools. New automated sensing technology can detect in real-time the difference between weeds and crops with sub-millimeter accuracy. Automated robotics are becoming common in high-value minor crops where labor isn’t available. The best part: robots don’t complain and can work 24 hours a day. And finally, innovative management tools are now commercially available, such as lasers and electrocution for weed control. Sure, there are still advances to be made and like any new technology, the first commercial products can be expensive, but keep in mind that the first cell phone introduced in 1983 weighed 2.5 pounds and cost over $10,000 in inflation-adjusted USD. These, and other innovations, will help us bridge the gaps in current conventional weed control and greatly expand options for organic producers. In the meantime, take advantage of the low-hanging fruit, and enjoy the fishing!
Jen Doxey has joined Fox Packaging as the company’s new director of sales. She is responsible for overseeing the sales operations of Fox Packaging and Fox Solutions and collaborating with the team in developing sales and service strategies that further the Fox brand.
Doxey brings over 20 years of experience in the produce industry, with an emphasis on developing and executing strategic sales plans, building long-term customer relationships and leading high-performing teams. She comes to Fox from Giro Pack, where she served as the national sales manager for nearly eight years.
Key Technology has rolled out its new Compass optical sorter suitable for processing lines handling food products including carrots. Powered by next-generation inspection technology and a new sort engine, the machine is designed to accurately separate foreign material from the line, in addition to sorting the specific product defects each processor wants to manage.
Compass is offered in a configurable range of system types and sizes to meet individual customer requirements. Key is first introducing chute-fed Compass models, to be followed by belt-fed variants of the sorter.
The January barometer fell to a reading of 106, 8 points lower than in December. Producers expressed a more pessimistic perspective about their farms’ current situation and future prospects. The Current Conditions Index fell 9 points, and the Future Expectations Index dropped by 7, both compared to December. The anticipation of weaker farm income in 2024 contributed to the overall decline, reflected in the Farm Financial Performance Index at 85, a 12-point decrease from the previous month. This month’s Ag Economy Barometer survey was conducted from Jan. 15-19.
“The number of producers pointing to lower commodity prices and lower farm income in 2024 significantly influenced the decline across all indices,” said James Mintert, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.
There was an increase in the proportion of producers anticipating a decline in financial performance for the upcoming year, with the figure rising from 20% in December to 31% in January. Concurrently, the percentage of those expecting income levels to remain stable decreased from 63% to 53%.
“For the first time, the percentage of producers choosing lower commodity prices as a top concern matched the percentage of producers who chose higher input costs. This alignment indicates that U.S. farmers are worried about a possible cost/price squeeze leading to lower farm incomes,” Mintert said.
The Farm Capital Investment Index fell to 35, 8 points lower than in December. This month, a shift occurred as fewer producers attributed their hesitation to make large investments to rising interest rates, which reversed a trend observed through much of 2023. Instead, more farmers cited high machinery and construction prices as reasons to defer investments. Meanwhile, among those deeming it a favorable time for large investments, an increased number pointed to expansion opportunities, while fewer referenced the rise in dealers’ farm machinery inventories as a motivating factor for investment.
This year, a greater number of producers expect their operating loan size to remain steady compared to last year, with fewer anticipating a larger loan. Of those expecting an increase, 61% cite rising input costs, down from 80% last year, while 23% attribute it to farm expansion, up from 15% in 2023.
While the Short-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index declined to 115, indicating reduced optimism on the part of producers, the long-term index held steady at 150, suggesting enduring optimism. Notably, the proportion of producers anticipating a decline in farmland values for the upcoming year rose to 16%, up from 10% just three months ago, with a simultaneous drop in those expecting higher values from 35% to 31%.
Additionally, the January survey reveals a consistent interest in carbon capture, as 8% of respondents reported engaging in discussions about carbon contracts. Among those, 61% were offered payment rates below $10 per metric ton, and 12% were offered a rate of $30 or more per ton.
TGI Fridays’ first-ever game collaboration will revive the brand and its menu items in the world-renowned mobile game ‘Cooking Fever’
Game developer and publisher Nordcurrent has announced a licensing partnership with the global restaurant chain TGI Fridays, bringing the iconic restaurant out of the kitchen and in front of 10 million monthly active users in its cooking simulation mobile game ‘Cooking Fever’.
The partnership, officially launching this week, will include a playable TGI Fridays restaurant with nearly 100 branded elements, including menu, interior, kitchenware, and exterior. The collaboration will continue throughout 2024 as there will be various activities, contests, and cross-promotions both for players of Cooking Fever and visitors of TGI Fridays. During the first two weeks after launch, TGI Fridays restaurant in Cooking Fever was experienced more than 4 million times.
Cooking Fever has over 400 million downloads worldwide and is one of the most popular restaurant simulation games. According to Victoria Trofimova, CEO of Nordcurrent, licencing partnerships is a great way for real-world restaurants to extend their experience into the digital realm. Trofimova anticipates multifold benefits of the partnership with TGI Fridays.
“We value the opportunity to introduce a beloved restaurant brand, present in more than 60 countries, to gaming enthusiasts, and strengthen TGI Friday’s brand awareness. Also, the collaboration is going to reinforce‘Cooking Fever’s’ position as a leading game in the simulation game industry, setting new standards for culinary-themed gaming experiences.”
“This is the first time TGI Fridays has partnered with a video games company.The collaboration between Nordcurrent and TGI Fridays extends our brand into the digital realm, offering a meticulously crafted virtual representation of our iconic restaurant. TGI anticipates a mutually beneficial partnership that expands our reach, enhances brand recognition, and contributes to the ongoing success of our global restaurant chain,” said Kathleen Schloth, SVP & Chief Supply Chain Officer at TGI Fridays.
With the mobile game industry growing by around 5% to 10% each year, licensing deals as such have opened valuable channels for brands to reach and engage with audiences in a new way. Furthermore, access to games and time spent gaming is increasing, especially among mature age groups, which strengthens its appeal as an effective alternative communication channel. Compared to TV and social networks, games deliver a more interactive experience, which also suggests a stronger impact on consumer awareness and a greater interest in the brand.
Trofimova concludes that eating and dining has always been a social activity complimented with rituals, roles, instruments and rules that followed the evolution of humanity. Therefore, it is quite natural that restaurants and food brands experiment with extending their consumption experiences in interactive virtual environments, when those are becoming a part of daily lives.
The holidays just got a lot more festive for 14 charities, thanks to $500,000 in donations from the Brandt Group of Companies’ Thanks A Billion Holiday Fund.
“We are very grateful to our customers, employees, and the communities where they live and work,” says Brandt Senior Vice President of Marketing, Matt Semple. “Our Thanks A Billion Holiday Fund is our way of saying ‘thank you’. And there’s no time like the holiday season to do that.”
The charitable donations were part of Brandt Family Christmas, an annual online holiday celebration for Brandt employees around the world. As part of the festivities, employees voted for their favourite charities, and $500,000 was distributed to organizations across Canada, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand based on percentage of votes cast.
“We are so grateful to be included as one of the charities of choice for this year’s Brandt Family Christmas,” says Phyillis O’Connor, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association (Saskatchewan Division). “Brandt’s donation will ensure quality programming to support those living with mental illness and those who wish to maintain their mental wellness.”
Brandt has grown over the past few years, and so has its commitment to local communities. Since 2020, the Thanks A Billion Holiday Fund has donated more than $1.6 million to charities in the communities where Brandt’s employees and customers live and work. This year’s recipients, by country, are:
Canada ($275,000 CAD) Canadian Cancer Society $97,500 Canadian Mental Health Association $78,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities $55,500 Make a Wish Canada $26,000 Salvation Army of Canada $18,000
US ($75,000 USD) St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital $43,000 Wounded Warrior Project $18,000 Illinois CancerCare Foundation $14,000
Australia ($75,000 AUD) Rural Aid $44,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities $25,000 The Smith Family $6,000
New Zealand ($75,000 NZD) Cancer Society New Zealand $41,500 New Zealand Rural Support Charitable Trust $23,500 Heart Foundation New Zealand $10,000
“It’s exciting to see our employees get involved in how the Holiday Fund is distributed,” concludes Semple. “The charities they’ve chosen to support this year are having a huge positive impact on the lives of people, locally and internationally.”
The Thanks A Billion Holiday Fund is a part of Brandt’s Thanks A Billion program, which celebrated its 12th anniversary in 2023. Since its inception, the program has invested more than $25 million in local communities.
By Ali Montazar, Michael Cahn and Jaspreet Sidhu, University of California Cooperative Extension; and Daniel Geisseler, University of California – Davis
Water and nitrogen (N) management in carrots is critical for increasing efficiency of crop production by decreasing costs and nitrate leaching losses. This will become increasingly important with high fertilizer prices, and as water quality and quantity concerns continue to increase. To maximize yield and quality, carrots need a sufficient level of N in the soil. Matching N fertilizer applications with carrot N uptake, and water applied with crop water requirements can optimize N and water use efficiency, as well as crop yield and quality.
A study was conducted to gain information on improving and promoting adoption of management practices that optimize N and irrigation water use efficiency in California carrot production systems.
Figure 2. Magnetic flow meters and data store and transfer equipment monitors water applied to a 2022-23 field trial.
Field Experiment
A two-year study (October 2021 through March 2023) was conducted at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center in Holtville, California (Fig. 1). The experiment consisted of three N fertilizer strategies (N1, N2, N3) under two irrigation regimes (I1, I2). The trials were arranged in a randomized complete block with split plot arrangement over four replications. Each sub-plot included 12 beds 40 inches wide and 60 feet long. Ten lines of Choctaw fresh market carrots were seeded in each bed.
The dates of first irrigation and harvest were Oct. 8, 2021, and March 17, 2022, for the 2021-22 trial, respectively. These dates were Oct. 4, 2022, and March 14, 2023, for the 2022-23 trial, respectively. Solid set sprinklers were used to irrigate the trials throughout both seasons. The study field of the 2021-22 season had a sandy clay loam (top 1 foot) to sandy loam (1-3 feet) soil texture. The soil texture of the field in the 2022-23 season was silty loam at the top 2 feet and sandy loam below 2-foot depth.
The water applied to the irrigation treatments was monitored using magnetic flowmeters on a 30-minute basis (Fig. 2). Actual soil nitrate content (NO3-N) and total N percentage in tops and roots were determined monthly through laboratory analysis. Preplant and post-harvest soil samples were taken from six depths (1-6 feet). At other sampling dates, soil was collected from the top three depths (1-3 feet). A composite soil sample was analyzed from each layer for NO3-N content.
Canopy images were taken on a weekly to a 15-day basis utilizing an infrared camera to quantify crop canopy coverage over the crop seasons.
Plant measurement was carried out on 40-plant samples collected randomly per plot, and determinations of fresh and dry weights of roots and foliage were made on a regular monthly basis during the seasons. The plant measurement was conducted on 100-plant samples per plot at harvest.
Water and Nitrogen Applied
The seasonal water and N applications in the different irrigation regimes and N strategies are listed in Table 1. A preplant N fertilizer with monoammonium phosphate was broadcast at a rate of 280 lbs./ac over the entire trial area in both seasons. Urea ammonium nitrate (UAN-32) was injected into the sprinkler system to supply the remaining amount of N for each nitrogen treatment. The application rates varied from 140 to 235 lbs. N/ac in the 2021-22 season and from 145 to 217 lbs. N/ac in the 2022-23 season.
The amount of irrigation water was determined using the CropManage irrigation and nitrogen decision management tool (www.cropmanage.ucanr.edu) to provide 100 percent of crop water needs (ET or irrigation regime 1) and 25 percent more than crop water needs (125 percent ET or irrigation regime 2). The amounts of irrigation varied from 24.5 to 30.8 in. and from 23.6 to 29.7 in. in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, respectively (Table 1). The trends of water and N applications per event for the 2022-23 season can be found in Fig. 3.
Impact on Nitrogen Uptake
Data of this study reported in an earlier article suggested that nearly 50 percent of the total N in carrots is taken up during a 50-day period, 80-130 days after seeding. This 50-day period appears to be the most critical period for N uptake, particularly in the storage roots, when carrots developed the large canopy and the extensive rooting system. The findings also demonstrated that for a 160-day crop season in the low desert of California, 22 percent of N uptake took place over the last 30 days before harvest.
The highest N accumulation rates at harvest were associated with the N2 treatment under the I2 irrigation regime (273 lbs. ac-1) and the N3 treatment under the I1 irrigation regime (281 lbs. ac-1) in the 2022-23 season (Fig. 4). However, nitrogen application rates had no statistically significant effect on total N uptake (roots and tops) and the N accumulated in roots. The N application rate had a clear and scientifically significant effect on increasing aboveground foliage (tops), which could be a reason for greater nitrogen uptake at the higher rate of N applied.
The results provide evidence for an overall effect of the interaction of irrigation regime and nitrogen management strategy on the total N accumulation in carrots (roots and tops) even though the irrigation regime as an individual driver had no significant effect on the N accumulation (neither the total nor tops or roots). It is likely relevant to the range of water application rates. The 25 percent over-irrigation couldn’t have a considerable impact on leaching nitrate within a silty loam soil type. A higher amount of excessive water through a more aggressive over-irrigation scenario (for instance, 150 percent ET) could influence the N uptake differently. The results of nitrogen accumulation were basically consistent within the two seasons.
Impact on Carrot Fresh Roots
Although no statistically significant impacts were found from both irrigation and N application rates on the fresh root yield in the 2022-23 season, N application statistically affected root yield in the 2021-22 season (Fig. 5). The lowest fresh root yield (40.8 t ac-1) was observed in the I2N1 treatment (irrigation regime 2 and an N application rate of 140 lbs. ac-1). A lower soil residual nitrate content could have contributed to a lower root yield in this specific treatment in the 2021-22 season. A greater mineral N content in the top 2 feet of soil was determined right before planting in the 2022-23 season (106 lbs. N/ac) than in the 2021-22 season (77 lbs. N/ac).
Since residual soil N can contribute considerably to the N requirement in carrots, preplant soil nitrate-N assessment down to 2-ft. depth is a tool that can enable growers to improve N management and maximize yield and quality while minimizing economic and environmental costs.
The findings suggested insignificant difference of fresh root yields impacted by the interaction of irrigation regime and N strategy within the range of application rates in both seasons. Different results could be obtained in a field that is irrigated more than the I2 treatment (> 125 percent of CropManage recommendation), has a low residual nitrate content or/and has a sandy textured soil.
Conclusions
Nitrogen and irrigation water must be effectively used in mineral soils to produce carrots with high yield and with minimal environmental impact. In the low desert of California, the majority of N is taken up during the months of December to February, and hence, proper N fertility in the effective crop root zone is essential during this period. An integrated optimal N and water management plan needs to be followed to achieve high N and water efficiency, and consequently overall profitability.
Positive impact of N application rate on carrot root yield was observed, but statistically no significant relation was found. The findings of this study suggested that N application rates greater than 145 lbs. ac-1 do not have a significant impact on carrot root yield in a well-managed irrigated field with a silty loam soil texture (above 2 ft.) to sandy loam (below 2 ft.). However, the fact that more N was taken up in the crop than applied for the N1 and N2 treatments would suggest that the residual nitrate in the soil from the past season contributed to the N nutrition of the crop. Higher N rates are likely necessary in over-irrigated carrot fields (receiving more than 125 percent of crop ET), or fields with a low residual nitrate content. This is because improving N use efficiency is closely associated with water use efficiency. On sandy textured soils, water management can be especially important for achieving high N use efficiency in carrots. Carrots need variable seasonal water application that depends on planting time, length of season, variety, soil types and irrigation efficiency. In this study, we used CIMIS reference evapotranspiration data and a crop coefficient model applied through CropManage online software to estimate water requirements of carrot before each irrigation.
Growers are encouraged to try using a reduced N rate (10-20 percent lower than their current practice) on a small field to evaluate how it fits their specific farming practices before they adopt it on a widespread basis. Analyzing soil samples for residual soil nitrate early in the season (after the pre-irrigation) and in-season soil nitrate and leaf tissue analyses can provide confidence in the new practices and allow for corrective measures. Information on using the soil nitrate quick test can be found at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/pdfs/nitratequicktestweb.pdf. Sufficient N availability in the crop root zone over the growing season and the lack of significant yield response to N application within the range of N application rates in this study suggested that N optimal rates could be likely less than 180 lbs. ac-1 in the low desert of California.
Authors’ note: Funding for this study was provided by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) – Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board.
Carrots were on display at the Pacific Northwest Bayer Experience this summer.
Held in Payette, Idaho, at the Seminis breeding facility, the Experience gave growers an opportunity to see Seminis varieties in the field, taste them and get questions answered from carrot breeder Laura Maupin.
The healthier eating trend has contributed to an uptick in vegetable acres, and Bayer wanted to acknowledge this by showcasing not only carrot varieties Orange Blaze and Malbec, but also onions, corn, watermelons and peppers.
Orange Blaze is a uniform, prototypical “Bugs Bunny” variety found cello-packed in grocery stores.
Malbec is a pretty, red variety, uniform in color, both outside and inside. It is also uniform in length and suitable for the fresh market and processing.
Carrots are on display at the Pacific Northwest Bayer Experience in August.
Tong Engineering has come out with a new, more compact version of its field-loading machine. Suitable for use on a wide range of root crops including carrots, potatoes and onions, the new FieldLoad Pro features all the same options as the flagship machine but in a narrower format. The machine includes a heavy-duty reception hopper feeding a choice of crop cleaning units including Tong’s EasyClean separator.
The new FieldLoad Pro model features the standard four-man inspection cabin and a 51-inch-wide fully foldable cart elevator. Like the larger model, the new compact model can be equipped with the latest optical sorting equipment as an alternative to the standard inspection cabin.
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