Green manures are often used in conjunction with plastic mulches in vegetable production. The use of plastic mulch in vegetable production has become a standard. Plastic mulches have been used in vegetable production to help reduce erosion, soil compaction, and weed establishment, retain soil moisture, and reduce soil-borne diseases. Organic mulches are sown in the fall in the same manner as green manures. However, unlike green manures, organic mulches are desiccated in the spring and left on the soil surface for the production season.
Organic mulches offer the same benefits as green manures and plastic mulches.
In the past few years there has been mounting pressure on the vegetable production industry to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. IDM programs have been developed for many crops which attempt to reduce synthetic inputs. IDM programs incorporate the use resistant cultivars, good cultural practices, disease forecasting systems, and production methods that produce the highest quality crops while minimizing chemical inputs. Disease forecasting systems for tomato production have been used by growers for the past 25 years. DSV s accumulate over a given time period depending on the weather and once a critical threshold is reached fungicide applications are advised.