26 

 fertilizing. Insect, disease, and fertilizer management levels were low 

 among small-scale growers in North Florida (29) . 



Double cropping, or the planting of tv^o crops in one year, is 

 practiced commonly in Florida (129). In l973-7^i 1^7,200 hectares of 

 vegetables were harvested, but only 80,000 to 100,000 hectares were 

 planted to vegetables (129). For example, four or five crops of radishes 

 are generally harvested from the same field in the Everglades and Zell- 

 wcod (Shuler, per. comm.). Some growers alternate part of their radish 

 hectar'age >ri.th other crops such as sweet corn, celery ( Apium graveolens 

 L.), carrot, and leafy crops. 



Double cropping tomato on full -bed plastic mulch with other crops 

 is practiced by many growers. Some tomato growers in Quincy plant pick- 

 ling cucumbers or winter squash after tomato. In South Florida, Bryan 

 and Dalton (21 ) obtained high yields of butternut squash planted after 

 fall-grown tomato on full-bed plastic mulch. Csizinszky (3^) reported 

 that several vegetable crops can be grown after tomato -,d.thout additional 

 fertilizer. As the land area planted to more than one vegetable crop 

 per year increases, year-round cropping systems studies are required to 

 provide information en appropriate crop management practices for effi- 

 cient production systems and improved returns to production inputs. 



Several studies have been conducted to extend the production 

 season and improve vegetable production in North Florida (20, 16A, 17.5 « 

 176). The use of black and white plastic mulches to reduce the effect 

 of heavy rainfall ajid high soil temperature during summer increased 

 yield ajid improved quality of several vegetable crops (20) . The use of 

 black plastic mulch was mere profitable for cantaloupe, whereas cleaj: 



