This issue of Tennessee Agri Science will introduce you to the comprehensive research and extension efforts of our Vegetable Initiative. New varieties of different crops are introduced each year, and a major part of the Vegetable Initiative is identifying which varieties will perform well under farming conditions in Tennessee. Variety testing at several branch experiment stations across the state allows researchers to evaluate new varieties with respect to disease resistance, yield potential, drought resistance, cold tolerance, appearance, taste, and overall quality. Production research is also conducted by scientists with the TAES, who study topics ranging from insect and weed control to plant pathology. Topics also include production techniques and technologies such as no-till and double cropping.
Different crops respond to different fertility levels.
One crop may need low rates of nitrogen for high yield and quality while another crop may respond best to high potassium or phosphorus levels. Evaluating herbicide performance. Weed control in many vegetable crops can be a serious problem. Only a limited number of herbicides are labeled for use on vegetables, and mechanical weed control is not practical and too labor intensive for many cropping systems. Soil type and pH, amount of rainfall, crop variety, method of application, temperature, and many other factors affect herbicide efficacy.