Vegetable Crops Team

The Vegetable Crops Team is a group formed by graduate students, professors, researchers, and extensionists from the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University and coordinated by Dr. Andre da Silva.

The Vegetable Crops Team develop best management practices for pre- and post-harvest yield and quality of vegetable crops. Our applied research is focused on plant physiology, water and nutrient management in conventional and organic systems, high tunnel systems, water conservation for different irrigation methods, fertilization of vegetables, variety evaluation, and the use of crop models to account the effects of weather variability on vegetable production. Working with an interdisciplinary team, we also conduct research for integrated pest management of weeds, insects, and disease.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Alabama Variety Trials – Supporting the Alabama vegetable industry with cultivar selection (Fund: USDA/NIFA – Specialty Crop Research Initiative & USDA/SARE – Research and Education Grants & USDA/SARE – Graduate Student Grants)
• Hops Production – Challenges of production systems under the subtropical environmental conditions of the southeastern U.S. (Fund: USDA/ADAI – Specialty Crop Block Grant & AU/AAES – Seed Grants)
• Divergent Paths of Organic Transition – Best Management Practices For Initial Years Of Organic Vegetable Fields In The Southeastern U.S. (Fund: USDA/NIFA – Organic Transition Program)
• Managing Whiteflies and Whitefly-transmitted Viruses in Vegetable Crops in the Southeastern U.S (Fund: USDA/NIFA – Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement)
• Cover Crops – Improving soil health, disease pressure, and crop productivity in Alabama vegetable cropping systems (Fund: USDA/NRCS – Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement)
• Irrigation scheduling for vegetable production – Saving water without impacting productivity (Fund: USDA/NRCS – Conservation Innovation Grants & USDA/ADAI – Specialty Crop Block Grant)

Research Opportunities

If you are interested in joining our research program, please contact us at azb0207@auburn.edu.