ALTERING THE SOIL ENVIRONMENT FOR INCREASED RESILIENCY IN HIGH-INTENSITY SPECIALTY CROP PRODUCTION

The overarching goal is to determine how combinations of management practices (cover crops, compost, and fumigation) alter the soil environment to improve crop production and the resiliency of the production system to biotic and abiotic stresses. Our supporting objectives (SO) are to:SO1:Identify annual cover crop species suitable for use in different fallow periods of sub-tropical climates for high-intensity crop production that also alter the abundance of potentially beneficial microbial taxa and/or generate large amounts of biomass for microbial decomposition.SO2:Investigate the synergistic effect of fallow period cover crops and compost application with pre-plant fumigation on the soil microbiome, disease and pest pressure, plant growth, and crop yield and fruit quality.SO3:Promote the use of cover crops and/or compost during fallow periods to enhance the resiliency of high-intensity specialty crop production to diseases and pests and improve crop growth and production through extension activities.