1057 THE PRODUCTION OF CULINARY HERBS IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: CONSTRAINTS AND SOLUTIONS

In the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), herbs and spices are in great demand, mainly for culinary purposes. These crops include thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, chives, fennel, rosemary and marjoram. Based on estimated total marketable yield of 25 growers in 1993, 10,264 kg of fresh culinary herbs were produced in USVI. During the same period, 21,207 kg of various herbs were imported to the USVI. These data clearly show that local demand for herbs exceeds domestic production. Constraints which limit increased production in USVI include small farm size, limited water resources, absence of mechanization and limited information on crop management practices. Many herb growers use traditional farming practices and for the most part avoid modern approaches to cultivation. Appropriate cultural and management practices (e.g. drip irrigation, mulching, fertilizer, etc.) could potentially boost production and increase overall efficiency despite the reality of small farm acreages. This paper will describe the current status of herb production in the USVI, constraints to production and proposed solutions to improve its economic prospect.

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THE INTEGRATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS AND CULINARY HERBS IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS FOR THE CARIBBEAN: A STUDY IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Acta Horticulturae ◽

10.17660/actahortic.2005.676.18 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 147-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M.C. Palada ◽

J.M. Mitchell ◽

B.N. Becker ◽

P.K.R. Nair

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Virgin Islands ◽

Agroforestry Systems ◽

Culinary Herbs ◽

The Caribbean ◽

The U.S

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1058 IMPROVING CROP MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CULINARY HERBS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.29.5.580c ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 580c-580

Author(s):

Manuel C. Palada ◽

Stafford M.A. Crossm

Keyword(s):

Crop Management ◽

Virgin Islands ◽

Small Scale ◽

Thymus Vulgaris ◽

Specialty Crops ◽

Culinary Herbs ◽

The Caribbean ◽

The U.S ◽

Field Production ◽

Herbs And Spices

The Caribbean region is one major source of most herbs and spices consumed in the U.S. Although the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is part of the Caribbean, local production of herbs and spices does not contribute significantly to exports into the U.S. market. Nevertheless, culinary herbs area” important horticultural crop in the USVI and their sale provides income for many small-scale growers. Little research has been done to improve field production in the USVI. Inefficient cultural practices used by growers result in low yields. Lack of information on fertilizer rates, irrigation and pest control methods is a major constraint to high yields. In 1988, the Agricultural Experiment Station initiated a project to improve field production of herbs and spices in the USVI. Use of drip irrigation, mulching and fertilizers has improved yields of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). This paper will discuss crop management studies to improve culinary herb production in the USVI. Increasing production may help reduce U.S. imports of these specialty crops from other Caribbean island nations.

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SUSTAINABLE CROP MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING PRODUCTION OF CULINARY HERBS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Acta Horticulturae ◽

10.17660/actahortic.2004.629.37 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 289-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M.C. Palada ◽

A.M. Davis ◽

S.M.A. Crossman ◽

C. Robles ◽

E.A. Chichester

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Crop Management ◽

Virgin Islands ◽

Culinary Herbs

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Edible-pod Peas as High-value Crops in the U.S. Virgin Islands

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech03438-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 683-689 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi ◽

Stuart A. Weiss ◽

Thomas C. Geiger ◽

K. Paul Beamer

Keyword(s):

Total Yield ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Plant Size ◽

Virgin Islands ◽

Fruit Yield ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

The U.S

Snow pea (Pisum sativum var. saccharatum) and sugar snap pea (P. sativum var. macrocarpon) are high-value crops typically grown in temperate regions. Temperature is the main limiting factor to growing edible-pod peas in warmer U.S. states and territories. The objective was to evaluate edible-pod peas performance in tropical climates and to make cultivar recommendations to farmers in the U.S. Virgin Islands based on fruit yield. Trials were performed in two consecutive years (2014 and 2015), testing six cultivars of edible-pod peas: three snow pea (Little Sweetie, Mammoth Melting, and Oregon Giant) and three sugar snap pea (Super Sugar Snap, Cascadia, and Sugar Sprint) in a complete randomized block with four replications. ‘Little Sweetie’ produced the highest total fruit yield for the season (15,442 kg·ha−1) and ‘Mammoth Melting’ (4249 kg·ha−1) and ‘Sugar Sprint’ (3349 kg·ha−1) produced the lowest total fruit yield in Year 1. The same trend happened in Year 2, where ‘Little Sweetie’ (14,322 kg·ha−1) and ‘Super Sugar Snap’ (12,511 kg·ha−1) were higher yielding and ‘Mammoth Melting’ (4582 kg·ha−1) and ‘Sugar Sprint’ (1929 kg·ha−1) were the lowest yielding cultivars. ‘Mammoth Melting’ showed a marketable yield below 80% of total yield in Years 1 and 2. ‘Mammoth Melting’ and ‘Super Sugar Snap’ produced the tallest plants in Year 1, while ‘Mammoth Melting’ was significantly taller than the others in Year 2. As expected, sugar snap pea presented fruit soluble solids concentration (SSC) 2.7% to 6.5% higher than snow pea. The snow pea cultivars had longer mean fruit length (81 to 86 mm) than sugar snap pea (60 to 68 mm). The opposite trend occurred with fruit thickness; sugar snap pea averaged 28.5% thicker than snow pea. The shoot dry weight of ‘Sugar Sprint’ was on average 78.5% smaller than ‘Mammoth Melting’ and ‘Oregon Giant’, resulting in poor performance due to small plant size. ‘Mammoth Melting’ and ‘Super Sugar Snap’ had the lowest chlorophyll content compared with the other cultivars. Results of this experiment indicate that edible-pod peas have potential as a specialty, short-season, high-value crop when grown in the cool–dry winter months of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of the cultivars tested, Little Sweetie was the highest yielding cultivar evaluated within the environmental and geographical conditions of this study for two consecutive years.

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Adoption of Technology, Management Practices, and Production Systems by U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Producers

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s1074070800000274 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 203-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

J. Ross Pruitt ◽

Jeffrey M. Gillespie ◽

Richard F. Nehring ◽

Berdikul Qushim

Keyword(s):

Technology Management ◽

Vertical Integration ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Farm Size ◽

Economies Of Scope ◽

Adoption Of Technology ◽

Beef Cow ◽

Cow Calf ◽

The U.S

Using USDA's Agricultural Resource Management Survey data, factors leading to the adoption of technology, management practices, and production systems by U.S. beef cow-calf producers are analyzed. Binary logit regression models are used to determine impacts of vertical integration; region of the U.S.; farm size, diversification, and tenure; and demographics on adoption decisions. Significant differences were found in adoption rates by region of the U.S., degree of vertical integration, and size of operation, suggesting the presence of economies of size and vertical economies of scope. Results also indicate high degrees of complementarity among technologies, management practices, and production systems.

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Microirrigation Equipment for Okra Cultivation in the U.S. Virgin Islands

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci15021-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (7) ◽

pp. 1045-1052

Author(s):

Rhuanito Soranz Ferrarezi ◽

Thomas C. Geiger ◽

Jayar Greenidge ◽

Shamali Dennery ◽

Stuart A. Weiss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Block Design ◽

Sprinkler Irrigation ◽

Virgin Islands ◽

Drip Line ◽

Irrigation Efficiency ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Thin Wall ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

The U.S

Drip irrigation presents higher distribution efficiency than sprinkler irrigation. Proper system design and the use of pressure-compensating emitters have important roles in irrigation uniformity and efficiency, which directly affect plant growth. This study evaluated the performance of four pressure-compensating and noncompensating emitters and the effects of these irrigation equipment on the yield of three okra [Abelmoschus esculentus] varieties cultivated in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Trials were performed in two seasons (Spring and Fall 2016), and tested four types of irrigation equipment (flow control drip tape, thin wall drip line, thin wall drip tape, and heavy wall drip line) and three varieties of okra (‘Clemson Spineless 80’, ‘Clemson Spineless’, and ‘Chant’), arranged on a complete randomized block design with three replications. Irrigation was performed based on reference evapotranspiration and measured daily using an automated weather station. Soil moisture, electrical conductivity (EC), and soil temperature were monitored using capacitance sensors. The ability of the irrigation equipment to increase pressure was evaluated in the laboratory, in experimental modules using clean water, and while simulating three different slopes (leveled, uphill, and downhill). In the field trial, yield and leaf physiological parameters were influenced by season (P < 0.05) and the percentage of the marketable yield was influenced by variety (P < 0.05); however, fruit morphological parameters and soluble solids content were variety-dependent (P < 0.01). The pressure-compensating emitters maintained water flow within the range indicated by the manufacturers when used within the recommended pressure range. Distribution uniformity decreased over time for all equipment except the heavy wall drip line in Fall 2016. Irrigation equipment did not impact okra morphological attributes and yield, indicating that the same productivity can be successfully maintained while improving irrigation efficiency. Equipment should be selected based on price and irrigation efficiency to reduce the amount of water used.

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