3/1/2023 - By Dr. Tom Reed

POLYON^® Controlled-Release Fertilizer Artichoke Studies

Studies:               Globe artichoke variety trials using POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer in northeast Florida; POLYON^® controlled-release fertilizer compared to injected liquid fertilizer program.

Location:             Hastings, FL

Collaborator:     Prissy Fletcher (UF|IFAS Hastings Agriculture and Extension Center)

Date:                     02/2023 – (Trial Data Period: 09/2019 - 05/2020, 10/2020 - 05/2021)

Conclusion:        These studies trialed POLYON^® controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) on artichoke production. Globe artichokes are being evaluated as an alternative crop in Northeast Florida and have a five-to-six-month production cycle, with planting in the fall and harvest in the spring for this region. The compact edible buds are harvested and additional bud flowering could be utilized in the cut flower industry. Harrell’s 16-6-11 NPK+ POLYON^® fertilizer was applied in these studies.

2019-2020 (Variety Trial).

The 16-6-11 CRF was applied at 250 lb/ac preplant. There were four replications for both planting dates of October 7 (Phase 1) and November 11 (Phase 2) for all six varieties. Total trial size was 0.5 ac and was conducted on a black plasticulture system with double-line drip irrigation. The trial had greater than or equal to marketable yield for varieties compared to trial done with conventional material the previous season. The highest yielding variety produced greater than 12000 lb/ac. Across all varieties greater than 1200 cartons/ac were produced for each of small, medium, and large sizes (Figures 1 and 2). The trial demonstrated that a single POLYON^® fertilizer application can be utilized to grow an artichoke crop.  

2020-2021 (CRF vs Liquid Fertilizer).

The POLYON^® 16-6-11 NPK+ CRF was compared to the injected liquid fertilizer at the same nutrient rates. The POLYON^® fertilizer treatment had greater marketable yield (25-50 lb/sampled area) than the fertigated treatment across all nine replications of the trial (Figure 3). POLYON^® fertilizer had greater yields than the fertigated plots for all four yield sizes. Different end users may prefer different sizes of artichokes. Potential growers in the area would rather have single preplant application product than do repeated fertigation events, according to the collaborating researcher.