Success StoryIncreasing Grower Profit after UK Extension Addresses Blossom End Rot Problem in Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes



Increasing Grower Profit after UK Extension Addresses Blossom End Rot Problem in Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Planning Unit: Daviess County CES

Major Program: Commercial Horticulture

Plan of Work: Increasing Agricultural Profitability

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Produce growers use greenhouses to provide ripe tomatoes to consumers early in the season to capture premium prices in the spring. Also, the structure protects plants from wind and rain, and allows for the management of fertilizer applications and water while growing plants in pots. 

The University of Kentucky Extension specialists and the Daviess County Horticulture agent worked with a grower who was losing about 400 pounds of tomato fruit to blossom end rot. This problem is often caused by uneven moisture available to the plant. Through teaching the grower how to measure the amount of water to apply throughout the day to assure an even moisture supply, he was able to prevent the fruit loss during the next growing season. This resulted in a profit gain of $1000.  






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