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Texas
Poblano Peppers
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Agriculture
Scientist and
Industry Collaboration -- A Success Story |
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Jock
Davis, Marilyn Magaro, TDA; CHEP USA; Michael and Mary Ann Adamek, Constanzo
Farm; Daniel Leskovar, Bill Holloway, TAMU Research Extension Center,
Uvalde; Ron Smith, HEB; Gene Camargo, Patrick Shriver, SAWS; and Brad
Stull, Constanzo Farm
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Combining a deficit irrigation study with ratooning poblano peppers, Constanzo Farms and the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in Uvalde were able to produce, ship, and market, for the first time, a fall crop of 'Texas Poblanos' to HEB Grocery in San Antonio. "To our knowledge, this is the first time the poblano or ancho pepper has been produced in the Winter Garden region and Texas," states Mary Ann Adamek, the owner of Constanzo Farms and Dr. Daniel Leskovar, scientist with the Uvalde Center. Nearly all poblanos in the United States are imported from Mexico, where more than 20,000 hectares are grown. The production and marketing of these poblano peppers was made possible through a concerted effort with 'Constanzo Farms,' HEB, CHEP USA, Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS). The Texas Higher Coordination Board, through the Advance Technology Program, also provided financial support. "Summer ratooning of the spring pepper crop allowed a fall production with less irrigation inputs (lower than 100% evapotranspiration rates)," states Dr. Daniel Leskovar, Associate Professor, TAMU Uvalde. "This low cost practice produced more than doubled yields during the fall (ranged from 13,000 to 18,000 lb/ac), with a larger fruit size and significantly lower amounts of defects caused by sunburn or blossom end rot as compared to summer production."
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Michael and Mary Ann Adamek and Brad Stull, Constanzo Farm, Inc.
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Gene Camargo, SAWS; Ron Smith, Central Market, HEB; Daniel Leskovar, TAMU Uvalde; Mary Ann Adamek, Constanzo Farm and Marilyn Magaro, TDA |
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