Establishing bare-root transplants in Florida, United States, is an inefficient water-consuming activity. Between 3500 and 5500 m 3 /ha are applied with sprinkler irrigation to lower temperatures around the transplant crown and aid early root development, but more than 97% of the water volume runs off the polyethylene-covered beds. Research has been conducted to evaluate the feasibility of producing containerized (plug) short-day cultivar transplants under Florida conditions, the effect of continuous and intermittent low-volume sprinklers on transplant establishment and the use of kaolin clay to reduce stress on young transplants. Research results demonstrated that growers may have alternatives to reduce water use and pumping costs during strawberry transplant establishment by the following: (a) plug transplants can be produced from mother plants from Florida's subtropical weather without chilling conditioning and still be competitive in the winter market; (b) using continuous and intermittent low-volume sprinkler irrigation saves between 16% and 33% of the water volumes for strawberry establishment; and OPEN ACCESS

The success of the best management practices (BMPs) program for vegetables in Florida is measured by the level of BMP implementation and the improvement of water quality. Both require keeping water and fertilizer in the root zone of vegetables. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Vegetable Group has identified the fundamental principles of 1) basing UF/IFAS production recommendations on the rigors of science and the reality of field production; 2) replacing the out-of-date paradigm “pollute less by reducing nutrient application rates” with “improve water management and adjust fertilizer programs accordingly”; 3) engaging growers, consultants, educators, and regulators in open-channel discussions; and 4) regularly updating current fertilization and irrigation recommendations for vegetables grown in Florida to reflect current varieties used by the industry. The group identified 1) developing ultralow-flow drip irrigation; 2) assisting conversion from seepage to drip irrigation; 3) using recycled water; 4) developing controlled-release fertilizers for vegetables; 5) developing real-time management tools for continuous monitoring of soil water and chemical parameters; 6) developing yield mapping tools for vegetable crops; 7) developing and testing drainage lysimeter designs suitable for in-field load assessment; and 8) using grafting and breeding to develop commercially acceptable varieties with improved nutrient use efficiency by improving morphological, biochemical, and chemical traits as new strategies to keep nutrients in the root zone. These strategies should become funding priorities for state agencies to help the vegetable industry successfully transition into the BMP era.

Two field studies were conducted to determine whether foliar kaolin clay applications would reduce water volumes during the establishment of bare-root strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) transplants. Transplant establishment treatments resulted from combinations of duration of sprinkler irrigation and foliar application of kaolin clay were: a) 4 days of sprinkler irrigation, b) 4 days of sprinkler irrigation plus kaolin clay on day 5, c) 6 days of sprinkler irrigation, d) 6 days of sprinkler irrigation plus kaolin clay on day 7, e) 8 days of sprinkler irrigation, f) 8 days of sprinkler irrigation plus kaolin clay on day 9, and g) 10 days of sprinkler irrigation (control). One day of sprinkler irrigation was defined as the application of 8 hours per day of irrigation to ensure plant establishment, using ≈6000 gal/acre per hour of water. Kaolin clay treatments were applied using a rate of 25 lb/acre and on the early morning of the following day after sprinkler irrigation was suspended. Treatments influenced the number of established plants and diameter at 4 and 8 weeks after transplanting (WAT), leaf greenness at 8 WAT, and early and total fruit weight. There were no differences in the number of established plants among treatments that received 10 days of sprinkler irrigation (control), 8 days of sprinkler irrigation followed by kaolin clay on day 9, and 6 days of sprinkler irrigation followed by kaolin clay on day 7, ranged between 97% and 98% plant survival. The highest strawberry early and total fruit weights (3.6 and 15.7 tons/acre, respectively) occurred in plots transplanted with either 6 days of sprinkler irrigation plus kaolin clay on day 7, 8 days of sprinkler irrigation plus kaolin clay on day 9, or 10 days of sprinkler irrigation. These data indicated that the addition to kaolin clay after 6 or 8 days of sprinkler irrigation improved strawberry establishment, growth, and yields to the same levels as the control treatment, while saving at least 20% of the water volume needed for establishment.

To help growers and policy makers understand how and why strawberry production costs have changed over time, this 5-page fact sheet written by Zhengfei Guan, Feng Wu, and Alicia Whidden and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department presents cost information collected over a five-year period, analysis of the cost structure of Florida strawberries, and an examination of the trend of changing costs along with the factors underlying the trend. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1013

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Because of the current limitations on water usage for strawberry growers in the Plant City area of Hillsborough County, researchers at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education center have been looking for inexpensive ways to reduce the amount of sprinkler irrigation in strawberry production. This 3-page fact sheet presents research results on the effect of kaolin clay application on sprinkler irrigation volumes applied to newly transplanted strawberries. It was written by Bielinski M. Santos, Teresa P. Salame-Donoso, Craig D. Stanley, Alicia J. Whidden, Crystal A. Snodgrass, and Mary B. Henry, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, December 2010.

HS1156, a 14-page white paper from the UF/IFAS Vegetable Fertilizer Task Force, identifies differences between actual fertilization practices and UF/IFAS fertilizer recommendations, especially for vegetables grown with subsurface (Central and South Florida) and overhead (Miami-Dade County) irrigation. The recommendations of the VFTF aim at bridging the gaps between science-based results and the diversity in production systems found in the Florida vegetable industry. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, April 2009. Reviewed June 2012. This document previously published -- Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119:240-248. HS1156/HS1156: Review of Nutrient Management Systems for Florida Vegetable Producers: A White Paper from the UF/IFAS Vegetable Fertilizer Task Force, 2009 (ufl.edu)

This chapter covers production of celery, okra, and parsley.