Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Council 

 of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the 

 Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 



AGHO-EGONOMIG EVALUATION OF FOUR VEGETABLE CROPPING 



PATTERNS FOR NORTH FLORIDA AS INFLUENCED BY 



CROP AND FERTILIZER MAIfAGEMENT LEVELS 



By 



Manuel Cells Palada 



March, I9S0 



Chairman: Donald N. Maynard 



Major Department: Horticultural Science (Vegetable Crops) 



Appropriate crop management technologies for year-round vegetable 

 cropping systems are essential to increase productivity and improve farm 

 income among small-scale vegetable farmers. A 2-year study was conducted 

 to determine and evaluate the influence of crop and fertilizer manage- 

 ment levels on productivity, income, and nutrient levels in soil from 

 four vegetable cropping patterns for North Florida and to develop 

 appropriate crop and fertilizer management practices for sequential 

 vegetable cropping systems. 



Seven vegetable crops were classified into three management 

 groups (low, li^i; medi^^m, MM; and high, PM) and planted in four cropping 

 pa-!:terns (HM-HI4-HM, LM-M-IiM, HM-MM-LM, and HM-U4-MM) . Vegetable crops 

 included bulb onion ( Allium cepa L.), collard (.Brassica oleracea L. 

 Viridis Group), English pea (Pisum sativum L.), mustard (Brassica 

 juncea L. Gzern. andCoss.), pole bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.), southern 

 pea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Valp.), and crockneck squash ( Cuc-grbita pepo L. ) . 

 The foiar cropping pattern main plots were split into three fertilizer 

 level sub-plots (low, medium, and high N and K) arranged in a randomized 

 block design. 



