Spicing Up Your Veggie Market With Exotic Crops PIKETON, Ohio Look ing to grow and market some thing different than tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers? How does amaranth, jute, Alaskan yard-long beans or malabar spinach grab you? Researchers at Ohio State University’s South Centers at Piketon are in their first year of organically raising such exotic crops to provide grow ers with alternative vegetables and cash crops that grow well in Ohio and satisfy the state’s growing ethnic market. Rafiq Islam, an Ohio State soil and water specialist, said the crops are ideal because they have a short growing sea son, require low maintenance, compete well against weeds and fetch a higher price than traditional vegetables. “Most of the vegetables can be planted in May or June and harvested in September,” said Islam. “Because they are high value crops, growers can get a higher price for them and cus tomers like them because they are high in nutrition and are what they are used to buying back home.” Amaranth, also known as edible pigweed, is pne such crop that meets those charac teristics. “Amaranth is fast %mm help- We have information and experience with new and existing ROGERS® varieties that are changing the market and may return you more profit. We can help! Call us today. We are committed to your success. Siegers Call 800-982-4899 tar a FREE catalog or vlalt www.alagara.coin - Cash Flow [vsp] >f w jm#' l ' growing. In 35-45 days it’s in full bloom and ready for har vest,” said Islam. An added bonus is that some of the vari eties are heat and drought tol erant. “The leaves and stalk are edible and are high in vita mins A, B and C,” said Islam. “Amaranth is also cultivated for the grain, which contains high levels of protein.” Breakfast cereals, pastas and breads containing ama ranth grain or flour are avail able in most health food stores. Ohio State researchers are growing 17 varieties of amaranth, found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and China. Researchers are also seeing success with jute, a plant from India, Thailand, China, My anmar and Bangladesh that produces a fiber used all over the world for making a variety of products such as blankets, clothing, upholstery and handbags. Jute is also used in the pharmaceutical and textile industries. “It’s a lot like hemp. It’s a biodegradable product used to make products like rope and decorative wrap,” said Islam. “The crop is also edible as the young shoots can be eaten.” Jute can grow as high as eight to 10 feet tall and is ef fective in controlling weeds. The crop is cut at the soil line and allowed to dry out. It is then bundled and fiber is ex tracted from the stems after they have been submerged under water and decomposed. Malabar spinach, also known as Indian spinach, is not spinach at all, but a tropi cal vine that grows quickly on a wide variety of sites. The plant is cultivated for its leaves, which have high levels of vitamins A and C. Malabar spinach is originally from Af rica and South East Asia. Researchers are also grow ing yard-long asparagus beans, an Alaskan legume high in protein; Calabash gourd, a tropical vine whose young fruits are harvested and cooked like squash and ma tured fruits are used for deco ration; and Luffa sponge, a plant in the same family as pumpkins and watermelons that is cultivated mainly as a bath sponge. For more information on such alternative crops, contact Raflq Islam at (740) 289-2071 or islam.27@osu.edu or con tact Shawn Wright at (740) 289-2071 or wright. 705@osu.edu. Blake Myers Phil Short Central & Eastern PA Western PA (877) 879-1407 (419) 445-1700 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 1,2003, Grower & Marketer-El7 Hort Display Enlightens Farm Show Visitors HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Dr. Bill Lamont, as sociate professor of vegetable crops at Penn State, was on hand to answer questions on opening day of Farm Show this year. The 900-square-foot Penn State Horticulture Center focused on the theme, “Landscape Blooper Wall of Shame,” or some of the things you shouldn’t do to maintain plants. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor Rain-Flo Equipment Compare These Features * View and communication from tractor driver to planting operators is easy with the split water tank. * New, expanded galvanized metal slant trays. * Full open back for access to the planting wheels. * Larger capacity tanks. * Easy and convenient seat adj. Raised Bed Plastic Layers * The only mulch layer on the market with Ro-Trakll * Prevent fishtailing with Ro-Trak. * Adjustable bed height and width. * Poly lined bed press. * Lay faster, more uniform beds with Ro-Trak. View between tanks to planting operators RAIN-FLO IRRIGATION INC. 884 Center Church Rd, East Earl, Pa 17519 Phone (717) 445-6976 • Fax (717) 445-8304 “The most versatile water wheel planter for planting vegetables into plastic mulch! ”
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