November 2024 - 8

GROWER PROFILE
Best management paths
With rising costs, achieving
better yields is crucial for remaining
competitive in this business. Additionally,
engaging in some organic production
has underscored the vital importance of
maintaining healthy soil. "
- Juan Lopez, Del Jardin Fresh
your way, " he said. " REGEV is one
product I lean on to combat early
blight disease in tomatoes. If early
blight strikes, it can impair 20%-40%
of your crop. Thus, having REGEV
in my spray program allows us to
minimize production losses. "
His advice to other growers is to
incorporate REGEV into their program
to help prevent disease proliferation.
Beyond REGEV, Lopez employs
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AVIV, another microbial fungi that
has proven effective against bacterial
and fungal diseases affecting his
tomato plants.
He also works with BioSafe and
Southeast Ag Solutions for additional
microbial solutions.
Lopez relies on decades of
hands-on experience in developing
a comprehensive program. Once
he starts building a crop cycle
and collects soil samples while
scouting the crop weekly, he can
precisely determine the best soil
health management techniques to
implement.
" We have clear targets for where
we want to be, and we ensure that
we stick to our plans. Once we are
on track, we can start planting
greater quantities of product, " he
said. " With rising costs, achieving
better yields is crucial for remaining
competitive in this business.
Additionally, engaging in some
organic production has underscored
the vital importance of maintaining
healthy soil. "
Unquestionably, the biggest
challenge he has encountered in
maintaining soil health has been
weather, an issue that presents no
easy solutions.
" You must rely on your experience
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when facing weather events, "
Lopez said. " For instance, we
anticipate substantial rainfall
this week, so we will increase the
application rates of certain products
and ensure our fungicides are
applied in a timely manner. Proper
timing is critical, and effective
forecasting before adverse weather
occurs is our best strategy. "
Lopez aspires to grow more
commodities in the future -
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8 | NOVEMBER 2024
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Vegetable Production for Greenhouse and Field Transplants.
perhaps even fruits - and expand
acreage across the states where he
cultivates tomatoes. He envisions
a future where he embraces even
more diverse agricultural practices,
contributing to the industry and
enhancing sustainability within his
operations.
" Success in farming isn't just
about growing crops; it's about
nurturing the soil, embracing
challenges and continually striving
for improvement, " Lopez said.
A graduate of the University of
Miami, Keith Loria is an award-winning
journalist who has been writing for
almost 20 years. View his recent
writing at keithloria.contently.com.
http://bpgrower.com
November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2024
