Current Problem & Importance of Solution Vegetable field growers are constantly faced with soil borne disease pressure that significantly reduces crop yields and profitability, limits the amount of quality vegetables in the stores, and increases the price of fresh produce. To solve the problem large vegetable growers treated their fields with an ozone depleting fumigant, methylbromide, which contributes to global warming, damaging to ground water supply, and causes cancer. The Montreal Protocol and Clean Air Act declared a worldwide ban on the chemical (EPA, 2013).A proven alternative for the control of soil borne diseases is vegetable grafted transplants (Kubota et al., 2008). Vegetable grafted transplants were recently adopted by other countries to control soil borne diseases in watermelon and tomato as an alternative to methyl bromide. Large greenhouse growers almost exclusively use grafted vegetable plants, and field growers will potentially demand high quantities of grafted vegetable plants every year, upwards of 1.8 billion tomato transplants, 200 million watermelon transplants to replace methylbromide. Currently, US propagators do not have the capacity to meet this anticipated demand of grafted vegetable and ensure ample supply of quality vegetables for its communities. In Florida in 2013, 88 % of all open-field tomato growers used methyl bromide (SOFIA, 2013). Florida represents one of the largest tomato producing regions in the US and a critical component of the domestic food supply. It is critical that the US remedy this shortage of available grafted vegetable plants by supporting development of the industry and its participants through impactful programs and initiatives to make high quality grafted vegetable plants domestically available. Research & Commercialization Benefit & Intentions Grafted Growers will gain knowledge and expertise from the research to enhance the growing conditions, propagation processes and final plant product grown in our system. This knowledge will be used to improve upon our SIGS system design, lighting configuration and cadence, air flow design and delivery, and cooling. Once improved upon, the gained Knowledge will be used in the design of GG first 1M plant operation which will be modeled in strategic locations around the country. This model will provide affordable grafted vegetable transplants to growers around the country from strategically located propagation centers. This will provide increased access to high quality grafted vegetable seedlings by commercial growers, urban growers and home gardeners. By reducing the need and cost of shipping, eliminating plant stress from transportation, increasing quality of available transplants, and lowering the cost of grafted vegetable seedlings, Grafted Growers will positively affect the local, regional and national vegetable production industry. Our research will produce cost reductions through lighting efficiencies, energy use efficiencies, airflow impact, and growing speed leading to lower cost plants for the end use.
