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Impact Report

For plan Commercial Vegetable Production
Date January 10, 2008, 4:38 pm
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report Coordinated the red chile and paprika breeding program. Continued efforts to breed high yielding, highly pigmented chile varieties suitable for machine harvest. Evaluated advanced replicated trials of the red chile and paprika breeding lines in Las Cruces and Artesia. This long-term program increases profitability for chile growers in the state by providing higher yield and quality red chile varieties. Machine harvest adaptation will increase competitiveness for growers in the state, and reduce the labor requirements for production. Conducted the third annual ‘Sustainable Agriculture Workshop’. Held in Socorro, NM with the cooperation of Tom Dean, County Extension Agent. This program introduced and enforced concepts related to water use efficiency as related to sustainable agriculture for crop production in New Mexico. Conducted the Onion Field Day, May 23. This event increased awareness of the New Mexican onion industry, and also served to showcase onion field research projects at NMSU. Assisted in coordination of the NM Chile Conference. Coordinated and moderated the afternoon mechanization workshop. Assisted in initiating, and serve as co-PI, of the Chile Yield Project. This group was assembled to investigate reported yield reductions in chile with repeat croppings. Growers and processors throughout the southwest were visited and interviewed regarding their experiences. With much effort, I located three fields that were going into chile for the first time, paired with fields previously in chile, and set up research test plots with these cooperating growers. In addition, I also helped coordinate research plots at the Leyendecker and the Artesia Science Centers to begin a long-term chile rotational study. Launched and chair the Green Chile Mechanization Working group. This committee is composed of chile breeders, growers, industry reps, and agricultural engineers. The purpose of the group is to coordinate efforts and plan research towards the successfully mechanize harvest of green chile and cayenne peppers. Green Chile Breeding for Mechanization. Initiated efforts to breed green chile for improved machine harvest efficiency. Coordinated two green chile mechanical harvest observational tests, Sept 4 (Las Cruces- Tharp’s) and October 10 (Deming – Keelor’s). Coordinated with the grower and processor to conduct these special harvests. Local growers and industry representatives were invited to the test in Deming; approximately 12 individuals attended the demonstration. Collected plant attribute data and harvest quality data that will be presented at the NM Chile Conference. The information obtained will be used to determine the protocols for next year’s mechanical harvest research. Also, made preliminary plant selection from ‘NuMex Joe E Parker’ for machine harvest attributes. Organized and chair the New Mexico WSARE advisory board. This group consists of NMDA, NRCS, growers, and researchers interested in sustainable agriculture. The purpose is to discuss and plan the yearly Sustainable Agriculture Workshop.