LOW PRODUCTION COST ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS ARE THE AVENUE FOR FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY OF VEGETABLE GROWERS IN THE U.S

Future sustainability of the vegetable growers in the U.S. will depend on coping with regulations imposed by the global market, and on adoption of production practices that keep production cost low and competitive, conserve natural resources, and protect the environment. Two major policies—The Montreal Protocol and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) adversely affected the vegetable growers in the U.S. in general and in Florida in particular. With the banning of methyl bromide (MeBr) and the fragility of the ecosystem, there is a need to develop production practices that maintain or further increase high yields at reduced chemical inputs. We describe an environmentally friendly production system that meets this need.