The gray colors and the red mottles which are present in most soil profiles reflect existing poor drainage. The topsoils have few stones in it. Because of their easy workability most of the soils are capable of growing a wide range of agricultural and horticultural crops. Back to Top Area served While playing its part in the nationally coordinated program, the station has a responsibility for conducting experiments to meet the needs of growers on the entire island. Regarding vegetable crops, the main interest comes from the commercial growers who grow in the dry season with irrigation methods.
Most commercial growers use drip-irrigation systems on their arable land.
Cultivated parcels vary from 0.5 to 1 hectare. The majority of their crops include West-Indian gherkin, okra, local beans, cucumbers and hot peppers. Nursery structures are used to a limited extent by growers, due to fears about structural stability under the prevailing winds and investment-costs. Back to Top Enterprises Testing of vegetables seeds. Variety testing, commercial evaluation and nutrient-response, pest and disease control, plant spacing and plant establishment are some of the experiments which are conducted with vegetable seeds.