Production of Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) as a Fall Crop in Southern New England

Cilantro is not a traditional vegetable for New England growers, but demand is growing as populations increase of ethnic groups for whom cilantro is traditional, and as the popularity of locally grown produce encourages people to try new foods. As an annual that does not overwinter in southern New England, cilantro is often planted in late Spring for harvest in the summer. However, cold, wet spring weather is often quickly followed by summer heat, causing cilantro to bolt. In contrast, Fall in New England is characterized by several months of gradually cooling weather that are ideal for production of leafy greens and herbs. In 2014 a Fall Cilantro Trial was conducted at the University of Rhode Island’s Gardiner Crops Research Farm. Five cultivars were seeded into raised beds at a rate of 90 g/3 m on August 14 using a completely randomized design with four replications. The silt loam soil was amended with 5-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 50 lbs/acre nitrogen prior to seeding. Multiple passes with a Johnny’s 6-row seeder with the center two hoppers left empty were used to seed two banded rows 12 cm apart with 20 seeds per foot. Weeds were hand pulled and the trial was irrigated as needed using overhead sprinklers. Data were collected on emergence rate, susceptibility to Alternaria leafspot, total yield, and percent marketable yield. Cilantro was hand-harvested on October 14 by cutting stems 6 cm above the soil level. Climate data were tracked at the RIAES weather station, located approximately 200 m from the trial site. Days to complete emergence differed significantly between cultivars, with ‘Calypso’ emerging most quickly. Total yields averaged 2.6 kg from 2.4 m of row and did not differ significantly between cultivars. However, marketable yields for ‘Santo’ were significantly reduced by severe leafspot. ‘Calypso’ was also significantly damaged by leafspot; marketable yields were reduced but were not significantly lower than for the other cultivars. ‘Leisure’ was the top-performing cultivar, combining strong establishment with resistance to leafspot and good yields.