Testing Vegetable Varieties in Tropical Conditions on St. Croix, USVI for Farm to School Crop Production

View the project final report

Commodities

• Fruits: watermelon
• Vegetables: carrots, cucurbits, greens (lettuces), tomatoes

Practices

• Crop Production: crop improvement and selection, seed saving, varieties and cultivars
• Farm Business Management: farm-to-institution
• Pest Management: integrated pest management

The selection and utilization of seeds most favorable to local conditions is pivotal for ensuring sustainable food production in the southern sub-tropical region. This study seeks to identify the best non-GMO specialty crop seeds available for environmental conditions in the United States Virgin Islands to be used in the Farm to School Program and beyond. The study is performed by the Virgin Islands Farmers Alliance (VIFA). 

Trials were performed across four professional farms which evaluated various seed varieties for productivity, pest resistance, disease resistance, and heat resistance. Integrated pest management (IPM) practices were utilized. Five categories of seed varieties were studied: tomato, cucumber, lettuce, carrot, and watermelon.)

Results indicated that the best performing varieties were Celebrity tomato, Eureka cucumber, Rex and Muir lettuce, Yaya carrot, and Crimson Sweet watermelon. A detailed presentation of the trial methods, results, and implications was offered at the local Agriculture Fair as well as at a "Farm Field Day" event curated specifically for this project and held at one of the participating farms. 

VIFA regularly relies on surveys, interviews, and hard data to evaluate programs. The success of our trial grows will be evaluated as follows:

1. We plan to sit down amongst the participating farmers and consultants to discuss the best experimental design and how we can replicate plots on each farm to strength our results.
2. We will consult with Lauren Giroux, Johnny's Seeds (Director of Product selection and Trialing, and Dr. Amy J. Dreves, crop management specialist, grant draft & printable advocacy material mentoring at University of the Virgin Islands, who will provide a data collection form to record germination rate, plant growth parameters (height, flowering and fruiting time, pest levels, and crop yield.
3. We will document a periodic one-on-one verbal interview with the farmers who are participating in the seed variety trials to compliment the data collection .
4. Surveys of and communication with farmers will be documented to determine how our efforts can be most helpful and collaborative with existing community-based efforts to support trial grow program.
5. Annually, we will evaluate the project by getting feedback from farmer collaborators and school faculty partners, and consultants to assess limitations, successes, communication levels and vegetable production.