Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition [Paperback]

Donald N. Maynard (Author), George J. Hochmuth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0471131512 | ISBN-13: 978-0471131519 | Edition: 4

In any season and any year, the most reliable farming tool between two covers . . .

KNOTT\'S HANDBOOK FOR VEGETABLE GROWERS

Fourth Edition

This classic handbook is considered by generations of commercial growers as the standard reference tool for growing vegetable crops. Filled with information, largely in the form of tables and charts, from hard statistics on vegetable production and consumption to fascinating esoterica, such as vegetable botanical names and vegetable names in nine languages (French for cauliflower is chou-fleur; a Spanish onion is a cebolla), Knott\'s Handbook is part Farmer\'s Almanac, part encyclopedia, and part dictionary. But with its detailed, practical specifics on planting rates, schedules, and spacing; soils and fertilizers; methods for controlling diseases; greenhouse vegetable and crop production; insect pest identification; harvesting and storage; and vegetable marketing, it\'s an indispensable helpmate to the farmer in the field and in the marketplace.

Thoroughly updated and expanded to reflect the latest technical advances in vegetable growing, the Fourth Edition contains new information on water management with drip irrigation; seed priming and seed germination tests; plant tissue testing; petiole sap testing; windbreaks; and weed management. A revised discussion of allowable pesticide and herbicide use as well as the newest in worker protection standards makes the Fourth Edition even more relevant to today\'s commercial grower.

The new edition of Knott\'s Handbook for Vegetable Growers comes in a convenient portable size and features a sturdy flexible cover with pages that lie flat, on the desk or in the field. Fulfilling James Edward Knott\'s original vision of a concise, comprehensive, and eminently useable handbook, this new edition of the 1957 classic is the ultimate day-to-day field reference, and as indispensable to a farmer\'s work as good weather.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Intended for commercial growers, the guide is a rich source of information for anyone who aims to harness the power of photosynthesis, perhaps especially serious gardeners. Metric conversion tables, fertilizer application methods, and tips for shipping and packaging round out a volume that strikes a perfect balance between robust content and lucid presentation." (American Reference Books Annual, 2008)

"It certainly provides the user with a wealth of current information on vegetable crop production and marketing in a well-organized and clearly presented manner." (HorTechnology, July-Sept 2007) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

In any season and any year, the most reliable farming tool between two covers . . .

KNOTT'S HANDBOOK FOR VEGETABLE GROWERS

Fourth Edition

This classic handbook is considered by generations of commercial growers as the standard reference tool for growing vegetable crops. Filled with information, largely in the form of tables and charts, from hard statistics on vegetable production and consumption to fascinating esoterica, such as vegetable botanical names and vegetable names in nine languages (French for cauliflower is chou-fleur; a Spanish onion is a cebolla), Knott's Handbook is part Farmer's Almanac, part encyclopedia, and part dictionary. But with its detailed, practical specifics on planting rates, schedules, and spacing; soils and fertilizers; methods for controlling diseases; greenhouse vegetable and crop production; insect pest identification; harvesting and storage; and vegetable marketing, it's an indispensable helpmate to the farmer in the field and in the marketplace.

Thoroughly updated and expanded to reflect the latest technical advances in vegetable growing, the Fourth Edition contains new information on water management with drip irrigation; seed priming and seed germination tests; plant tissue testing; petiole sap testing; windbreaks; and weed management. A revised discussion of allowable pesticide and herbicide use as well as the newest in worker protection standards makes the Fourth Edition even more relevant to today's commercial grower.

The new edition of Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers comes in a convenient portable size and features a sturdy flexible cover with pages that lie flat, on the desk or in the field. Fulfilling James Edward Knott's original vision of a concise, comprehensive, and eminently useable handbook, this new edition of the 1957 classic is the ultimate day-to-day field reference, and as indispensable to a farmer's work as good weather.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 4 edition (March 24, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471131512
• ISBN-13: 978-0471131519
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,817,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition, August 10, 2005

By 

a reader (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition (Paperback)

I give it five stars. This book, which contains a variety of information from a wide number of sources, is not a "how-to" book. Its information is mostly in table form, so the book's main use is as a reference. Some chapters, such as the one on water and irrigation, contain information I've never seen anywhere else, except in technical publications. The chapter contains line illustrations and descriptions that are accessible to the layman. The chapter on vegetable pests also contains (black and white) line illustrations of the insects. Rather than try to list all the information this book contains, I list the table of contents:

Preface

Part 1: Vegetables and the Vegetable Industry
Botanical Names of Vegetables
Names of Vegetables in Nine Languages
Vegetable Production Statistics
Consumption of Vegetables
Nutritional Composition of Vegetables
Selection of Vegetable Varieties

Part 2: Plant Growing and Greenhouse Vegetable Production
Transplant Production
Plant Growing Containers
Seeds and Seeding
Temperature and Time Requirements
Plant Growing Mixes
Soil Sterilization
Fertilizing Transplants
Plant Growing Problems
Hardening Transplants

Crop Production
Cultural Management
Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
Soilless Culture
Nutrient Solutions
Tissue Composition

Part 3: Field Planting
Temperatures for Vegetables
Scheduling Successive Plantings
Time Required for Seedling Emergence
Seed Requirements
Planting Rates for Large Seeds
Spacing of Vegetables
Precision Seeding
Seed Priming
Vegetative Propagation
Polyethylene Mulches
Row Covers
Windbreaks

Part 4: Soils and Fertilizers
Organic Matter
Soil-Improving Crops
Manures
Soil Texture
Soil Reaction
Salinity
Fertilizers
Fertilizer Conversion Factors
Nutrient Deficiencies
Micronutrients
Fertilizer Distributors

Part 5: Water and Irrigation
Water and Irrigation
Rooting of Vegetables
Soil Moisture
Surface Irrigation
Overhead irrigation
Drip or Trickle Irrigation
Water Quality

Part 6: Vegetable Pests and Problems
Air Pollution
Integrated Pest Management
Pesticide-Use Precautions
Equipment and Application
Nematodes
Diseases
Insects
Wildlife Control
Herbicides
Equipment and Application
Weed-Control Practices
Effectiveness and Longevity of Herbicides

Part 8: Harvesting and Storage
Predicting Harvest Dates and Yields
Cooling Vegetables
Storage Conditions
Chilling and Ethylene Injury
Vegetable Quality
U.S. Standards for Vegetables
Storage Sprout Inhibitors
Containers for Vegetables
Vegetable Marketing

Part 9: Seed Production and Storage
Seed Labels
Seed Germination Tests
Seed Purity and Germination Standards
Seed Production
Seed Yields
Seed Storage

Part 10: Appendix
Sources of Vegetable Information
Sources of Vegetable Seeds
Periodicals for Vegetable Growers
U.S. Units of Measurement
Conversion Factors for U.S. Units
Metric Units of Measurement
Conversion Factors for U.S. and Metric Units
Conversions for Rates of Application
Water and Soil Solution Conversion Factors
Heat and Energy Equivalents and Definitions

Index

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic reference work to answer disease&insect problems, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition (Paperback)

I use this book as my first reference work to answer disease and insect problems in vegetables for the public. The layout is extremely easy to use. Each section is very clear and concise. This work is also used for establishing small plot research design that is comprable to the large scale production fields. All the information one needs is in this handbook for vegtable trials and for large scale production. There is very little else on the market that is as comprehensive as this publication and as accurate regarding information provided.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A helpful reference tool, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition (Paperback)

First published in 1956, this handbook is an indispensable, up-to-date companion both in the field and in the marketplace. Topics include the vegetable industry, greenhouse vegetable production, soils and fertilizers, water, pests, weed control, harvesting, storage, and seed production. Packed with quick-access graphs, tables, charts, and line drawings, the 4th edition offers new information on drip irrigation, seed germination, plant tissue and sap testing, windbreaks, and weed management. It also gives advice on allowable pesticide and herbicide use and on the latest worker protection standards. The appendix contains sources of vegetable information, providers of vegetable seeds, periodicals for vegetable growers, and U.S. units of measurement and the metric conversion factors. A change from the spiral-bound 3rd edition is a sturdy, flexible cover to help hold pages flat.