Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Heat tolerance also exists within pepper germplasm of cultivated species. The
pepper breeding and physiology programs at Texas A&M University (TAMU) have
investigated heat tolerance for the last 40 years. Thermo-stability of pollen and
ability to develop flower buds at high temperatures are key traits present in heat-
tolerant cultivars. Several cultivars, including bell, jalapeño, serrano, mild green
chile, and habanero types have been released by TAMU for warm climates. Yields
and plant growth are superior to many heat sensitive commercial cultivars in south
Texas and other warm regions (Crosby and Villalon
2002
; Crosby et al.
2010
). Ad-
ditional work on pepper heat tolerance has been conducted in other warm climate
locations, such as Taiwan. Saha et al. (
2010
) investigated the response of different
sweet peppers to high day/night temperatures and found clear differences in yield
and fruit quality. Additionally, leaf proline content of heat-tolerant lines was found
to be higher than in heat-sensitive ones. This could be a useful marker for breeding
programs.
Marketing
Defining Marketing
Marketing is one of the most important factors in determining the success of any
vegetable farming enterprise. However, vegetable growers and business managers
usually tend to only associate marketing with either selling or advertising and pro-
moting their products. Those two functions are an important part of a long and com-
prehensive decision making process called marketing. Marketing can be defined
as the process of business activities designed to plan, price, promote and distribute
products that satisfy the needs of current or potential customers while achieving
the business objectives. The overall and main objective of any vegetable farm-
ing operation is to generate profits. While strategic marketing does not guarantee
profitability it provides the necessary tools to gather information and make more
informed decisions.
The decision making process starts before planting any vegetable seeds, by de-
ciding which vegetables to grow, when to grow, and what quantities to produce to
satisfy market requirements. In the traditional supply chain, marketing activities
are viewed as the necessary steps to deliver the products from the farm to the con-
sumer's plate. The modern marketing definition requires putting the consumer as
the first and major emphasis in the marketing planning process. The process starts
by identifying consumer trends and preferences for vegetable products, including
varieties, sizes, colors, texture, labels, and packaging. Then, the manager plans the
operations required to meet the consumer expectations for the products and ser-
vices. It is important to keep in mind that it is always easier to sell consumers what
they want to buy, rather than growing the products and then trying to find a buyer
for it (Fig.
3.8
).
