Vegetables

Vegetables are a major food crop in many parts of the world. In the United States, many people envision that vegetables are grown on small farms, for farmers markets.

In reality, vegetables are grown on large, specialized farms with many custom-designed pieces of machinery to help ease the labor. Many fields may cover hundreds of acres. Farms may be spread over several states to help insure a steady supply of fresh produce to the market. In the United States, the major vegetable crops are lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, squash, sweet corn, green beans and watermelon (watermelon is included here as it is grown like a row crop, on the ground).

Agronomists help these large operations by designing plant nutrient programs that allow growers to use the right amounts of fertilizer. They help select varieties that allow for machine or hand harvest to get the produce to market quickly with the proper quality. Agronomists also provide consulting services to aid in weed control, pathology issues, and insect management.