Reducing Decay in Beets. Includes chemical and cultural controls as well as ways to assay fields to determine decay potential.
Weed Control. In particular, redroot pigweed, lambsquarters, nightshades, hairy galinsoga, velvetleaf, ragweed and fall panicum.
New Products from Beets. Food or nonfood products, especially for utilizing larger beets.
Determining Cause and Control of Black Spots in Processed Product.
Seed Quality. Seed age, germination, and vigor.
Managing Size. Ways to maximize small beets and minimize large beets, including methods of suppressing large beets, varying spacing, or varieties.
Economics and Risk Factors. Generate information on costs of production with goal of developing a better crop insurance program for beets. Leveraging outside resources, e.g. Cornell and NYS Ag. and Markets.
Weed Control. In particular, chemical control of thistles, daisies, nightshade (with respect to Colorado potato beetle contamination) and grasses, particularly fall panicum. Optimal timing for control.
Contaminants (other than weeds). Slugs, snails and Colorado potato beetles (see comments under weed control above).
Inoculants. Inoculant types, application methods, with and without nitrogen.
Seed Maggot. Survey to find out where it's a problem and potential use of seed treatments (other than slurries)
Irrigation Management. Timing and amounts; effects on yield components.
Variety Evaluation. Yield, sieve size, and tenderometer readings. Continue looking at afila types.
Bean Virus. Better understand the aphid/virus complex. Screen existing varieties and breeding lines. Develop effective control measures. Complement research that is going on elsewhere and reduce duplication of any research in Wisconsin.
Weed Control.
Pod Quality Control. Includes pod mold control, managing seed size/sieve size, identifying and controlling black specks, and insect damage to pods.
Variety Evaluation and Breeding. Includes heat tolerance, white and gray mold and virus resistance, managing seed size and sieve size, yield factors (planting dates and populations) and harvestability (plant height), direction of pick.
Leafhopper Management. Includes developing thresholds for stress conditions, and application technology for control including seed treatments such as Gaucho/Cruiser.
Vigor in Early Plantings. Includes varieties, environmental conditions, fertility.
Animal Contaminants. Including slugs, frogs, snakes.
Irrigation Scheduling to Maximize Yield Effects.
Literature/Internet Searching. Keeping up-to-date on snap bean research from other areas.
Stewart's Wilt and Corn Flea Beetle Control. Including variety tolerance, seed treatments, soil insecticide efficacy, and biology of flea beetle.
Rust Control. Fungicides and varieties for management. Contact with southern states for forecasting purposes.
Weed Control. Particularly for annual grasses
Breeding for ECB Resistance.
Variety Evaluation. Includes rust susceptibility.
Maximizing Yield and Quality. Including varieties, managing ear size, population, row spacing and fertility.
Yield vs. Maturity. Includes harvest timing, variety, and finished product grade.
Non-chemical Insect Management. Support for seeking external funding.
Cultural Practices for Yield and Quality Enhancement. Includes investigations of row spacing, populations, soil additives, seed treatments, fertility (timing, application, and materials), rotation, and stand establishment.
Phosphorus Management. Includes support for seeking external funding as well as further study on variety response to added P on high P soils.
Root Rot Management. For peas, beans, and beets. Includes new directions in cover crops or other cultural practices.
Seed Treatments. Includes fungicides for soil-born pathogens, and insecticides for seed maggots and corn flea beetles.
Weed Control. see individual crops, above.
Organic Production. Includes the feasibility of transitioning, non-chemical weed and pest control. Support for seeding external funding.
Adoption of New Marketing Opportunities/New Crops/New Products When They Arise.
Economics of Processing Vegetable Production. Generating information on costs of production for sweet corn, snap beans and peas. Leveraging outside resources, e.g. Cornell and NYS Ag. and Markets.