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Intranet Plant Production
and Nutrient Management
Vegetables are grown in Florida on approximately 300,000 acres, for a total annual value of $1.2 billion. While the most important vegetable commodities are tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, potato, green bean, and watermelon, over 40 vegetable crops are produced in the state. The main challenges the industry is currently facing are global competition, labor, the loss of methyl bromide in 2005, and water issues. Field production in Mexico and Central American countries and greenhouse production in Canada and European countries now also target the winter market historically open for Florida produce. In this context, vegetable growers constantly strive to improve their cultural practices in order to remain competitive and maintain profitability. As a response to these needs, several state-wide research/extension programs focus on vegetable variety development and evaluation, testing of methyl bromide alternatives, integration of IPM techniques into field production, update of fertilization, irrigation, weed and pest control recommendations, and assessment of the environmental impact of vegetable production on ground water quality. Among these programs, work on water and nutrient management includes real-time irrigation scheduling methods, field testing of possible Best Management Practices (BMPs), and the development of controlled-release fertilizer programs for vegetable production.
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