By Mary Leigh Oliver

Alabama Extension Service

With a new year comes the newly updated 2022 Southeast U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook. Partnering with Great American Media, this handbook comprises up-to-the-minute information developed from research and Extension projects conducted throughout the Southeastern United States.

In its 23rd edition, the goal of the handbook is to provide growers, crop advisors, county educators, Extension agents and specialists with practical resources that conveniently fit on the dashboard.

This year’s edition represents a joint effort among Extension specialists and researchers from 14 land-grant universities in the U.S. The Southeastern Vegetable Extension Workers Group (SEVEW) speaks for an array of disciplines including agricultural engineering, entomology, food safety, olericulture (vegetable production), plant pathology, postharvest physiology, soil science and weed science.

What to Expect

With the multitude of subjects covered by the contributors, the handbook covers almost every detail for vegetable production.

Joe Kemble, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System vegetable specialist and Southeast U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook contributor, said the handbook contains information required to manage vegetable crops including

Varieties to plant

Planting dates

Fertilizer recommendations

Cover crop selection and conservation tillage options

Pesticide selection

Grafting

Fertigation

Plasticulture

Postharvest handling

Alternative pest management tools and suggestions

And more!

“With each new edition of the handbook, all of the pesticide labels are updated,” Kemble said. “This year’s edition also includes expanded food safety info for users.”

The ever-advancing additions provide vegetable producers with step-by-step instruction to tackle any obstacle.

Let’s Keep Growing

Vegetable production in the Southeast faces many challenges. In addition to the handbook, the SEVEW Group works to identify problems and strengthen vegetable production programs in the region. With their combined knowledge, expertise and, of course, the 2022 Southeast U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook, growers across the region are destined for success.

More Information

For more information about the 2022 Southeast U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook, visit the Alabama Extension website, www.aces.edu, or access the handbook electronically from www.vegcrophandbook.com.