Tomato and Lettuce research experiments in Tropical Belize.

Here we are in the downstairs nursery, experimenting with different kinds of tomato varieties for the Government of Belize, Central Farm Research Station, Director. This batch got wiped out in mid summer, due to overwarm night time temperatures. We have found in Tropical Belize that the thermostat for vegetables has to be very close. Most imported seeds for temperate zone vegetables require ten or fifteen degrees farehheight differential, between warm summer days and colder nights. When they fail to get that temperature of coolness at night, the growing biological trigger goes into non-stop overdrive and the plants spiral out of control. There are plants with very close temperature biological switches, and some that do not care at all. Finding these for Belizean summer conditions ( April, May, June & July and sometimes most of August ) is the problem at present. This plot eventually got wiped out by THRIPS and then MOSAIC VIRUS in continuous planting and tomato cropping. Currently this same plot is now growing lettuce and testing varieties for the FALL and Winter season, which do have a cooler night time temperature differential.

HYDROPONIC RESEARCH IN VEGETABLES IN BELIZE

• BELIZE DEVELOPMENT TRUST ( NGO )

• VEGETABLE RESEARCH PROJECT

An NGO in Belize that has been doing volunteer work to improve the economy for the past 16 years. We have an electronic library on the internet, development issues subjects since 1992. This photo shows Ray Auxillou, with the third floor vegetable nursery, doing experimental research work in cooperation with the Government Central Farm Research Station. This year will be the third year for temperate zone tropical vegetable agriculture, using mainly temperate zone seeds. The first year was testing the hydroponic hand fed system in soil containers and the second year was doing trials in lettuce and tomatos to choose varieties suitable for the two major seasons by temperature in Belize. Four books have been published on the research and many new government policies and programs have been started utilizing the data found and collated.
Currently a new crop of lettuce and tomatos are being planted for winter season trials. It has been found that using water and nutrient feed, crops have no season in Belize and can be grown year round at any time. The only difference is two seasons based on night time temperatures, the summer and other, which do require different varieties. Planting times have been found and recorded for best success by months. Search for best working varieties is ongoing by both Central Farm Research Station and the Taiwanese Vegetable Mission to Belize.