Transcript Veg Crops-Lesson 22 Salad crops

Vegetable Crops–PLSC 451/551
Lesson 22, Salad Crops
Instructor:
Stephen L. Love
Aberdeen R & E Center
1693 S 2700 W
Aberdeen, ID 83210
Phone: 397-4181 Fax: 397-4311
Email: [email protected]
What do you say to psychotic
lettuce?
What do you say to psychotic
lettuce?
You should have your head
examined.
Salad crops
Salad Crops
General Information
Wide range of species, from many families
Grown for large or succulent edible leaves
Usually eaten uncooked, but occasionally as
potherbs
Production systems vary widely
Dandelion
Species:
Taraxacum officinale (aster family)
Origin: Eurasia
More commonly known as a weedy pest
Often gathered rather than cultivated (subsistence)
Some varieties exist-Europe, Asia (market gardens)
Flowers and roots also edible
Paracress
Species:
Acmella oleracea (aster family)
Origin: Brazil
Mostly used in Brazil and Malaysia
Seldom cultivated (subsistence gathering)
Adds sharp flavor to salads, moderates capsaicin
Flower buds used to treat toothaches
Rocket Salad
Species:
Eruca vesicaria (mustard family)
Origin: Southern Europe/Western Asia
Partially domesticated, often cultivated
Leaves make a sharp-tasting addition to salads
Flowers are also edible
Seeds produce a hot-flavored oil
Coriander
Species:
Coriandrum sativum (carrot family)
Origin: Western Asia
Small-scale production worldwide
Production: from modern-intense (cilantro seed) to
market-garden/subsistence (salad coriander)
Common in Asian and Mexican cuisine
Annual growth but harvested multiple times
Parsley
Species:
Petroselinum crispum (carrot family)
Origin: Mediterranean region
Traditionally used for medicinal purposes
Leaves used as garnish/flavoring, soups, stews
Biennial or perennial harvested multiple times
Small-scale modern production for processing,
market-garden production for fresh use
Amaranth
Species: Amaranthus tricolor
Native of Central and South America
Greatest diversity in India
Mostly subsistence production
Leaves edible in uncooked salad dishes
One species important for seed grain (quinoa)
Basella
Basella
Species: Basella rubra
Native to tropical Asia
Perennial vine to 12 feet tall
Leaves edible in salads (tastes like spinach)
Pigment in leaves and fruit used as edible dye
Purslane
Species: Portulaca oleracea
Native of India or Iran
Common weed throughout the world
Often gleaned from uncultivated sites
Some domesticated forms cultivated (subsistence)
Succulent leaves edible, high in iron
Borage
Species:
Borago officinalis
Origin: Mediterranean
Foliage, tender stems and flowers edible
Salad use in Germany, flavors pickles in Poland
Most common use is for seed oil
Subsistence or small market-garden production
Good companion plant to deter insect pests
Other Minor Salad Crops
Upland Cress (Barbara verna) – western Europe
Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum) - Europe
Salad Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) – Europe, US
Asiatic pennywort (Centella asiatica) - Indonesia
Garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) – Europe, Africa
New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides)
Water cress (Nasturtium officinale) - worldwide
Corn salad (Valerianella locusta) - Mediterranean
Endive
Description
Species: Cichorium endiva (sunflower family)
Native to the Mediterranean region
Important salad crop in Europe, increasingly in U.S.
Edible portion is a loose head of leaves
Many types with broad, curled or fringed leaves
Can be bitter and harsh, differential sensitivity in
humans
Endive
Chicory
Description
Also known as French endive, witloof chicory
Species: Cichorium intybus (endive Genus)
Native to the Mediterranean region
Important salad crop in Europe, some in U.S.
Edible portion is apical bud, roots eaten in some
types
Forcing commonly practiced (second-year growth of
biennial type forced the first year)
Chicory (witloof) also called Belgian endive
Chicory (radicchio)
Chicory
Spinach
Spinach
Origin and domestication
Species: Spinacia oleracea (beet family)
Native of southwest Asia (Iran)
Cultivated for about 2000 years
Grown in Europe around 1000 AD
Brought to North America by European
settlers
Spinach
Use and production
Traditionally a potherb, now important salad crop
Considered of high value nutritionally
Important in the U.S and some parts of Europe
Major producing states: California, Colorado, Texas,
New Jersey, Maryland
Total U.S. production 15,000 acres
Spinach
Harvest and Storage
Fresh spinach hand harvested
whole plant pulled, trimmed
harvest done late day, less turgidity
Processed spinach machine harvested
cut at the top of the petiole, bulk handled
Cooled with crushed ice, generally not stored
Lettuce drop
Celery
Celery
Origin and domestication
Species: Apium graveolens (carrot family)
Biennial grown as an annual
Native to Mediterranean region, North to Sweden
Cultivated before 850 BC
First used for medicinal purposes
Domestication increased size, decreased bitterness
Celery
Use and production
Edible portion is the leave petiole, roots are used and
known as celeriac
Consumed raw or cooked in soups and stews
Important vegetable in North America and Europe
California, Texas, Michigan, Ohio major producers
U.S. total production 27,000 acres
Celery
Varieties
Green types
Utah, Pascal, Ford Hook
Self-blanching types
Golden Self Blanching, Sanford Superb
Celeriac
Prague, Delicacy
Smallage (minimal use, few varieties)
Celery
Varieties
Green types
Utah, Pascal, Ford Hook
Self-blanching types
Golden Self Blanching, Sanford Superb
Celeriac
Prague, Delicacy
Smallage (minimal use, few varieties)
Celery
Varieties
Green types
Utah, Pascal, Ford Hook
Self-blanching types
Golden Self Blanching, Sanford Superb
Celeriac
Prague, Delicacy
Smallage (minimal use, few varieties)
Celery
Varieties
Green types
Utah, Pascal, Ford Hook
Self-blanching types
Golden Self Blanching, Sanford Superb
Celeriac
Prague, Delicacy
Smallage (minimal use, few varieties)
Celery
Management techniques
Environmentally demanding crop
Mean temperatures 60-70 degrees
Sensitive to freezing
Bolts following cool temperatures (50 degrees)
Shallow rooted, requires irrigation
Heavy feeder, high use of N
Celery
Management techniques
Slow seed germination (15 days minimum)
Exhibits thermodormancy above 75 degrees
Far-red light helps eliminate thermodormancy
Seed often pelleted
Transplanting often practiced to overcome
germination problems
Lettuce
Lettuce
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)
family with 20,000 species, few cultivated
Genus and species: Lactuca sativa
Related species: sunflower, dandelion, globe
artichoke, endive
Lettuce
Taxonomy
Subspecies
capitata – head lettuce
crispa – leaf lettuce
longifolia – Cos or Romaine lettuce
aparagina – stem or asparagus lettuce
Lettuce
Taxonomy
Subspecies
capitata – head lettuce
crispa – leaf lettuce
longifolia – Cos or Romaine lettuce
aparagina – stem or asparagus lettuce
Lettuce
Taxonomy
Subspecies
capitata – head lettuce
crispa – leaf lettuce
longifolia – Cos or Romaine lettuce
aparagina – stem or asparagus lettuce
Lettuce
Taxonomy
Subspecies
capitata – head lettuce
crispa – leaf lettuce
longifolia – Cos or Romaine lettuce
aparagina – stem or asparagus lettuce
Lettuce
Origin and Domestication
Native to the Mediterranean region
Wild types are prickly and contain latex
Grown in Egypt as early as 4500 BC
Early use medicinal and for seed oil
Domestication resulted in slow bolting, lack of
spines, non-shattering seed, large leaves
Head lettuce first described in 1543
Prickly lettuce
(L. serriola)
Latex production in wild types
Lettuce
Importance
Most popular salad crop
In U.S., value among vegetables second to
potatoes
Considered a pleasure food
High in vitamin A, calcium, iron
Low in calories and other nutrients
Lettuce
World Production
World acreage 700,000 acres
Grown throughout the temperate regions
Amenable to all production systems
Common subject for organic production
Lettuce
Consumer use
Used almost entirely as a raw vegetable alone
or in salads
Heavily used by the restaurant industry
Produced and marketed throughout the year
Lettuce
Varieties
Types
Crisphead – well-formed head of overlapping leaves
Butterhead – small, loose head, smooth leaves with
buttery flavor
Cos or Romaine – long course leaves, long pointed
head
Leaf – no head, spreading growth habit
Lettuce
Climate and soils
Require a cool climate
optimum 70 degree day, 50 degree night
Seedlings resistant to moderate frost
Maturation rate temperature dependent
Varieties are mostly daylength neutral, but:
Long days encourage bolting under high
temps
Lettuce
Stand Establishment
Mostly direct-seeded, thinned
Planted shallow (light requirement) – ¼ in deep
Soil must be well-worked, smooth
Compacted soil severely limits emergence
Phosphoric or sulfuric acid – anticrustants
Irrigated regularly during germination
Mulches commonly used
Thinned 10-12 in apart on raised, double beds (36 in)
Lettuce
Physiological problems
Tipburn – necrosis of inner leaf margins
local calcium deficiency, more N helps
Russet spotting – reddish spots on midrib
interaction of ethylene and temperature
avoid ethylene (lower than .5 ppm)
maintain temperatures at 32-35 degrees
Lettuce
Physiological problems
Tipburn – necrosis of inner leaf margins
local calcium deficiency, more N helps
Russet spotting – reddish spots on midrib
interaction of ethylene and temperature
avoid ethylene (lower than .5 ppm)
maintain temperatures at 32-35 degrees
Lettuce
Production - Harvest
Harvest indices
Head of adequate size
Head firm
Leaves green
No bolting
Lettuce
Production - Harvest
Multiple harvests (small production)
Hand harvested (machine assist)
Common to harvest, trim, pack in the field
Limits handling
Reduces injury
Eliminates waste disposal
Lettuce
Handling and Storage
Field packed in marketable cartons
Vacuum cooled to <50 degrees within 1 hour
Not hydrocooled (pathogens)
Usually not stored
Can be at 33-34 degrees, 90-95% RH, 1-2 weeks
Not stored or shipped with ethylene producers