Introduction Current agricultural practices are good at maximizing current yields. Newer varieties of crops provide higher yields and combinations of desirable traits. Fertilizers provide faster plant growth and greater amounts of food produced per plant. Pesticides are used to prevent losses to insects and provide the blemishless food consumers demand. However, sometimes the practices destroy future capacity to produce food.
Major production takes place in California and Florida.
100,000 acres of tomatoes are planted in Florida each year. Each acre contains about 7,250 tomato plants. Each plant was raised from seed in a greenhouse and hand planted in the field. Each plant is staked to keep the plant upright. Soil fertility is important- fertilizers are needed to replenish nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium taken up into the plants previously grown in the field.