MAX FACTS GROWING TIPS , NEWS AND TRIVIA
High School Students Learn Aquaculture
In a greenhouse behind Ocean Springs High School in Mississippi , 500-gal . tanks are filled with tilapia and planter pots are full of tomatoes , peppers , basil and lettuce . The water from the tanks helps hydrate the vegetables and the vegetables help filter the water . The systems for moving the water are designed , built and maintained by students . Ocean Springs High is home to the state ’ s only aquaculture program -- students study the breeding , growing and harvesting of plants and animals in water environments . “ When students stay in this program for three years , they can go right into a marine-based biology field ,” teacher Bryan Butler says . “ They can take what they ’ ve learned here into college , then into the field .” — sunherald . com
Americans Still Eat More Iceberg Lettuce Than Kale
At first glance , it looks like kale has taken over the American palate . The number of times restaurants have mentioned iceberg lettuce as a menu ingredient in salads has dropped 17 % in the last three years , according to research from the market-research firm Mintel . Mentions of kale are “ off the charts ,” says Caleb Bryant , a food-industry analyst at Mintel . Even though kale appears to be far more popular on menus than iceberg lettuce , Americans are still eating a lot more of the latter . The US either produced or imported 13.5 lbs . of iceberg per capita for use in 2015 , a drop from 20.9 lbs . per person in 2005 , according to the USDA ’ s Economic Research Service . Kale , meanwhile , has remained relatively steady for the last decade , with the US producing and importing just 0.6 lb . of kale per person in 2015 , up from 0.4 lbs . per person in 2005 . — freshplaza . com
New Sprayer Technology Reduces Pesticide Use
An experimental , variable-rate spraying system that helps growers efficiently apply chemicals to trees was developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists at the agency ’ s Application Technology Research Unit in Wooster , Ohio . In field studies , the new sprayer reduced average pesticide use between 46 and 68 %, with an average cost savings of $ 230 per acre for ornamental nurseries . The cost savings can be much higher for orchards and other fruit-crop productions . The laser-guided , two-ton sprayer synchronizes spray outputs to tree structures . It can treat up to six rows of trees at a time . Conventional spray-application technology requires excessive pesticide use to achieve effective pest control in floral , nursery , orchard and other specialty crop productions . This challenge is now overcome by the new precision sprayer , which is able to characterize the presence , size , shape and foliage density of target trees and automatically applies the optimal amount of pesticides . — ars . usda . gov
26 Maximum Yield USA | June 2016