Vegetable Production and Practices

Paperback
January 2015
9781845938024
More details
  • Publisher
    CABI
  • Published
    29th January 2015
  • ISBN 9781845938024
  • Language English
  • Pages 486 pp.
  • Size 7.5" x 9.625"
  • Images figures & b/w photos
  •    Request Exam Copy
$90.65

Successful vegetable production in a modern competitive market requires an understanding of many more factors than the biology of crops and the production techniques involved. This major new textbook brings the science and practice of vegetable production right up to date by addressing modern culture techniques and the recent challenges of consumer demand facing producers today. It introduces vegetable production from the perspective of producing high quality produce that satisfies the needs of the modern consumer. Beginning with the basics of how vegetables are grown using high and low input methods, including organic and sustainable production techniques, the book goes on to introduce and discuss many topics covered less comprehensively in older texts, including Good Agricultural Practices to improve quality, reduce biological contamination and secure food safety; water management; cropping systems; plasticulture; protected culture and mineral nutrition. Vegetable Production and Practices also introduces the use of molecular biology for genetic improvement of crops.

Issues specific to individual vegetable crops are addressed by family, including their diseases, harvesting, quality attributes and other issues of increasing importance to consumers, including the role of vegetables in human health.

Professor Gregory E. Welbaum has a long history of teaching successful courses in horticulture at Virginia Tech and other universities in the US and worldwide. Vegetable Production and Practices has been specifically designed to accompany courses in vegetable crop production, so is ideally suited to inspire students in crop and horticultural sciences, as well as provide a useful reference for experienced practitioners.

Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Vegetable History, Nomenclature, and Classification
2. Tillage and Cropping Systems
3. Vegetable Seeds and Crop Establishment
4. Fertilization and Mineral Nutrition Requirements for Growing Vegetables
5. Irrigation of Vegetable Crops
6. Mulches
7. Protected Culture
8. Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production
9. Vegetable Safety
10. Family Cucurbitaceae: Cucumber, Netted and Mixed Melons, Watermelon, Pumpkins and Squash
11. Family Solanaceae: Potato, Peppers, Eggplant, Tomato
12. Family Asteraceae: Lettuce, Endive, and Chicory, Globe Artichoke and Cardoon
13. Family Poaceae: Sweet Corn, Popcorn, and Ornamental Corn
14. Family Amaryllidaceae, Subfamily Allioideae: Onions and Garlic, Leek, Shallots, and Chives
15. Family Convolvulaceae: Sweetpotato
16. Family Brassicaceae, Genus Brassica: Asian Brassicas, Root Crops, Other Crops
17. Family Amaranthaceae, Subfamily Chenopodiaceae: Beets and Chard, Spinach, New Zealand Spinach and Orach
18. Family Asparagaceae: Asparagus
19. Family Polygonaceae: Rhubarb
20. Family Fabaceae: Beans and Peas
21. Family Apiaceae: Carrot, Celery, Minor Crops in the Family Apiaceae
22. Family Agaricaceae: Mushrooms

Gregory E. Welbaum

Gregory E. Welbaum is a professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech and has taught both classroom and online vegetable crop classes for over three decades. His successful book Vegetable Production and Practices has been specifically written for classes about vegetable crops based an his personal experiences as a commercial vegetable grower and university researcher. Since 2004, Dr. Welbaum has taught an online class on vegetable seed production. This class has been offered to Virginia Tech students as well as international students as a continuing education course. In addition, Greg has previously taught modules on vegetable seed production for the Seed Production short course offered by Seed Biotechnology Center at the University of California, Davis.