December 2023 - 7

MELONS
Controlling input costs
and increasing yields have
benefited Leger & Son,
which grows and ships
watermelons and pecans.
Photos courtesy Leger & Son.
Cole, Buddy and Greg Leger of Leger & Son. The third-generation
family operation successfully grows watermelons by paying more
attention to the soil, water, pests and diseases.
YOU CANNOT CUT CORNERS
AND YOU CAN STILL GET YOUR
Soil focus
Leger & Son takes soil probes in the winter
before planting, during the growing season
and after harvest. A University of Georgia lab
tests soils and plant tissues for pH, nitrogen
and potash levels, as well as other nutrient deficiencies.
In the past, the operation tested soils once a year,
then applied lime and fertilizer. Today, however, zinc
and minor elements including copper, manganese and
sulfur are needed.
" You want your pH levels to be perfect, " Leger said.
" If your pH is not where it needs to be, if you need NPK
(nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and don't have
your pH right, it's not making that plant, it's not making
that in the soil and is not making it readily available so
the plant can take it up. "
Georgia's rolling landscape can present irrigation
challenges. Lower areas can receive too much water
while vines on hilltops may receive less. Rolling land
creates difficulties regulating water flow through drip
irrigation, so overhead is employed. To prevent erosion
BUTT KICKED. NOT DOING THINGS
PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME DRIVES
ME CRAZY. SELF-INFLICTED
WOUNDS ARE THE WORST.
- Greg Leger
and water loss, Leger & Son installed terraces and
water bars, which divert water runoff.
Planting more disease-resistant watermelon varieties
helped cut the spraying bill in half, reducing spraying
from 9-10 times a year to three times. Changing
varieties and other steps helped Leger & Son yield
60,000 pounds of watermelons an acre, up from the
45,000-pound yields in the past.
" The technology is saving us money, " Leger said. " It's
saving trips across the field and saving us diesel fuel.
Not managing water and sprays is kind of shooting
yourself in the foot coming out of the gate. "
Because watermelon and other cucurbits cannot
grow more than five years on the same land, growers
swap land and plant other crops including peanuts, field
corn and cotton, making it challenging finding rental
VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM | 7

http://www.VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM

December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2023

Editor's Letter
Watermelon Pressures
Battling food insecurities
40 Under 40 Class of 2023
Michigan Vegetable Council's proactive approach
2023: Year in review
Great Lakes EXPO News: Mastering pest management
Great Lakes EXPO News: Stop the Rot project
2024 Buyers' Guide
Consider automatic irrigation control systems
Autonomous tech invades the 'salad bowl'
Robotic risk
Robots perform field work
Cover crop mixes
Farm Market & Agritourism: Revolutionize customer relationships
Ag Labor Review: DOL's end run
Business: Effective succession planning
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
December 2023 - 1
December 2023 - 2
December 2023 - 3
December 2023 - Editor's Letter
December 2023 - 5
December 2023 - Watermelon Pressures
December 2023 - 7
December 2023 - 8
December 2023 - 9
December 2023 - 10
December 2023 - 11
December 2023 - Battling food insecurities
December 2023 - 13
December 2023 - 14
December 2023 - 15
December 2023 - 16
December 2023 - 40 Under 40 Class of 2023
December 2023 - 18
December 2023 - 19
December 2023 - 20
December 2023 - 21
December 2023 - 22
December 2023 - 23
December 2023 - 24
December 2023 - 25
December 2023 - 26
December 2023 - 27
December 2023 - 28
December 2023 - 29
December 2023 - Michigan Vegetable Council's proactive approach
December 2023 - 31
December 2023 - 32
December 2023 - 33
December 2023 - 2023: Year in review
December 2023 - 35
December 2023 - 36
December 2023 - 37
December 2023 - Great Lakes EXPO News: Mastering pest management
December 2023 - 39
December 2023 - 40
December 2023 - Great Lakes EXPO News: Stop the Rot project
December 2023 - 42
December 2023 - 2024 Buyers' Guide
December 2023 - 44
December 2023 - 45
December 2023 - 46
December 2023 - 47
December 2023 - 48
December 2023 - 49
December 2023 - 50
December 2023 - 51
December 2023 - 52
December 2023 - 53
December 2023 - 54
December 2023 - 55
December 2023 - 56
December 2023 - 57
December 2023 - 58
December 2023 - 59
December 2023 - 60
December 2023 - 61
December 2023 - 62
December 2023 - 63
December 2023 - 64
December 2023 - 65
December 2023 - 66
December 2023 - Consider automatic irrigation control systems
December 2023 - Autonomous tech invades the 'salad bowl'
December 2023 - 69
December 2023 - 70
December 2023 - 71
December 2023 - Robotic risk
December 2023 - 73
December 2023 - 74
December 2023 - 75
December 2023 - Robots perform field work
December 2023 - 77
December 2023 - 78
December 2023 - 79
December 2023 - Cover crop mixes
December 2023 - 81
December 2023 - Farm Market & Agritourism: Revolutionize customer relationships
December 2023 - 83
December 2023 - Ag Labor Review: DOL's end run
December 2023 - 85
December 2023 - Business: Effective succession planning
December 2023 - 87
December 2023 - Classifieds
December 2023 - 89
December 2023 - Advertiser Index
December 2023 - 91
December 2023 - 92
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