Short- and Long-term Crop Replacement Project

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: peanuts, soybeans, wheat
• Fruits: melons, apples, berries (other), figs, peaches
• Nuts: pecans
• Vegetables: sweet potatoes, carrots, cucurbits, eggplant, greens (leafy), peas (culinary), peppers, tomatoes

Practices

• Crop Production: conservation tillage
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, focus group, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
• Farm Business Management: whole farm planning, new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns, marketing management, feasibility study, risk management, value added
• Natural Resources/Environment: habitat enhancement, soil stabilization, wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, biorational pesticides, chemical control, compost extracts, cultural control, disease vectors, economic threshold, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, mulches - killed, mulches - living, physical control, prevention, sanitation, smother crops, traps, mulching - vegetative, weather monitoring
• Production Systems: transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: green manures, organic matter, soil analysis, nutrient mineralization
• Sustainable Communities: public participation, urban/rural integration, sustainability measures

This producer feels that a good alternative to tobacco is to plant short- and long-term high-value crops in rotation. She will plant sweet potatoes, watermelons, cucumbers, eggplants as annual crops. Pecans, apples, peaches, figs, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries will be grown as long-term crops. She also intends to plant annual cover crops using hairy vetch, crimson clover and rye for weed control, organic matter and beneficial insect habitat.