Producing vegetables for a market (or are vegetables an appropriate
enterprise?)
3. Matching crop requirements with the production
environment
Peter Deuter and Jerry Lovatt, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland.
On this page:
Introduction
By comparing the environment where a vegetable crop grows well with the environment of the intended new location, an understanding of the new locations' suitability or otherwise can be obtained.
Environmental factors
As temperature (maximum and minimum) has a significant influence over the performance of vegetable crops, a comparison of mean daily temperatures for each month can be useful. Mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures for each month are available for all meteorological stations throughout Australia from the National Climate Centre. To contact them phone (03) 9669 4082; fax (03) 9669 4515; E-mail webclim@bom.gov.au or visit their web page http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/contacts.shtml.
- Example A: Using mean daily minimum temperature data (Graph 1) for the Lockyer Valley (where broccoli grows well in the winter), and comparing it with Goondiwindi (where frost damage sometimes occurs in July), and Rockhampton and Biloela, it can be seen from Graph I that frost damage is not likely to be a problem if attempts are made to grow this crop in winter at these latter two sites, (Rockhampton and Biloela).
Graph 1
- Example B: Using mean daily maximum temperature data (Graph 2) for Stanthorpe (where broccoli grows reasonably well in most summers) and the Lockyer Valley (where broccoli quality is very poor in summer), and comparing these with Rockhampton and Biloela, Graph 2 shows that Rockhampton and Biloela are not suitable as summer producing areas. The higher maximum (and minimum) temperatures at Rockhampton and Biloela during autumn and spring will also limit the winter production window for broccoli to a about two months (June and July), because of the effects of higher temperatures on broccoli head quality.
Graph 2
A range of environmental factors can be used in this type of comparison depending on their importance in determining crop performance. The following factors should be considered in a thorough investigation:
- temperatures (max and min)
- frosts (number, duration and severity)
- heat waves (duration and probability of occurrence)
- rainfall (amount and seasonal variation)
- relative humidity (seasonal variation)
- wind (direction, strength and seasonal occurrence)
- hail (seasonal occurrence)
- storms and cyclones (seasonal occurrence).
Take care when interpreting long term average (or short term actual) data. Averages smooth out the extremes, and sometimes the effects of extremes of factors such as temperature (frosts and heatwaves) are critical in determining crop performance, i.e. A single severe frost can kill an entire planting of a frost sensitive crop.
Short term actual weather data may not tell the whole story, e.g. one year's rainfall data may not show the extremes of highs and lows which can occur. They may also fail to produce a picture of the real seasonality of the rainfall pattern for a particular location.
The more actual weather data available for a location, the better is the likely understanding of the environment, but the more difficult and time consuming will it be to obtain this picture. For many potential locations the only readily available data will be the long term monthly averages associated with the nearest meteorological station.
Conclusion
If you are contemplating diversifying into horticulture because of financial difficulties in other enterprises, the chances of success are further reduced because finance is likely to be limited and a failure or near failure can be catastrophic.
In contemplating a growing potential horticultural crop, it is most advisable to spend a percentage of the total investment (up to 5% is suggested) on investigating the proposal. This money should be spent on travel, sound professional advice and collecting and interpreting information.
Investigate thoroughly any 'schemes' which provide the plants, the markets and the expertise. These types of schemes have a history of failure, especially where above average returns are promised.
Disasters in horticultural production caused by adverse weather conditions, intense pest and disease pressure and low market prices, are possible and have occurred in recent years. An investor in horticulture must have sufficient financial backing to service such disasters.
Spend time and money understanding the environmental factors which both limit and promote crop performance. Avoid locations and/or crops where the limitations cannot be managed.
Many failures in horticulture occur because the investor has quite unreal expectations that have not been exposed because a thorough investigation was not carried out by or on behalf of the investor.
There is money to be made in horticulture only if crop selection is based on a sensible and thorough investigation of the market and the production potential of the proposed district or site. If this is done properly, then horticultural enterprises can provide a most interesting and rewarding investment.
Further information
Other DPI&F notes available in the 'Producing vegetables for a market' series include:
1. Successful horticultural enterprises
2. The production environment
4. Sensible use of irrigation resources
5. Temperature requirements and limitations for a range of vegetable crops
The above Notes and many others are included on the DPI&F's PrimeNotes CD-ROM.
DPI&F information and services
- To access DPI&F's information and services, Queensland residents can contact the DPI&F Business Centre on 13 25 23 for the cost of a local call. The Business Information Centre is open 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays); E-mail callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au. Non-Queensland residents phone (07) 3404 6999.
- Current national information on agricultural chemicals registered for use on all crops is available on the Infopest CD-ROM. Write to DPI&F, GPO Box 46, Brisbane, Qld 4001, E-mail infopest@dpi.qld.gov.au, visit the Infopest web page, or phone (07) 3239 3967 for further information.
Industry links
- Industry links is a page of links to various sites of interest to horticultural growers.
Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
Last updated 24 May 2007
