Sustainable Production of Some Vegetable Species in the Tropical Highlands of Colombia, South America

Abstract

In the Colombian highlands, the use of native and/or improved varieties of vegetables, adapted to the elevation range and the adversities of climate change, are of great importance. To increase vegetable production, quality, and sustainability, new cultivation practices that are easy to implement have been proposed. These include enriching the spectrum of incident light in a given range, and the use of different substrates, which can be a more sustainable alternative to soil cultivation. The problem of heavy metal contamination in crops near rivers, industrial and mining sites, and roads must be solved through legal regulation, appropriate instructions to farmers, and the use of species and varieties that accumulate lower quantities of heavy metals. Also, in order to improve the sustainability of vegetable quality, work is being done on harvesting at the optimum degree of maturity, the use of suitable packaging, and the use of pesticides of natural origin.