Disease-free vegetables yield better, look better, and taste better than do diseased products. Disease control and prevention involves selecting fungicides or combinations of fungicides and application rates and timing. Application equipment is more critical for disease control than for weed or insect control. Evaluating insect control measures. Insects can severely damage plants and fruit if not controlled.
Insect damage can reduce product yield and affect the quality of the fruit, especially appearance.
Some insects are beneficial and help control harmful insects. Insecticide choice, rates of application, and application method determine whether beneficial insects are harmed and if harmful insects are killed or controlled. Evaluating irrigation needs. While most parts of Tennessee receive adequate rainfall for production of vegetable crops, the amounts and incidence of natural rainfall may not coincide with water needs of produce-bearing plants. Drought stress at specific times during the growing season can severely reduce crop yields as well as crop quality.