Horticulture Crops

HC

About

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Horticulture cropping systems produce food crops such as fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and may include annuals or perennials. Importantly, horticulture cropping systems produce crops for direct human consumption. Examples of horticulture food crops include fruit trees, tomatoes, carrots, and asparagus. When appropriately managed, horticulture cropping systems increase on-farm diversity and contribute to multifunctional agroecosystems.

Benefits

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Benefits of horticulture cropping systems include:

• High value crop production
• Nutritious food sources
• Existing direct to consumer markets
• Income diversity

Challenges

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Challenges to horticulture cropping systems include:

• Labor demands
• Potential for spray drift
• Lack of crop insurance
• Sensitivity to climate and weather variability

Horticulture Crops Practices

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The ACRE team evaluated various horticulture crops practices for climate smartness. Below is a list of practices linked to the ACRE Portal.

• Alley Cropping: Plants crop alleys between tree or shrub rows for diverse yields.
• Composting Facility: Converts organic waste into stable compost through controlled decomposition.
• Conservation Cover: Establishes permanent vegetative cover to protect and restore the land.
• Conservation Crop Rotation: Rotates different crops on the same field each growing season.
• Contour Buffer Strips: Plants perennial vegetation strips along the contour to slow runoff.
• Cover Crops: Plants a mix of species between cash crops to cover bare soil.
• Critical Area Planting: Establishes permanent vegetation on erodible or disturbed land to stabilize soil.
• Field Border: Plants permanent vegetation strips around field edges to reduce erosion and support wildlife.
• Filter Strips: Uses permanent vegetation to filter runoff from fields.
• Forest Farming: Grows understory crops beneath a managed forest canopy for income.
• Fuel Breaks: Uses strips of reduced vegetation to slow wildfire spread and protect property.
• Grassed Waterways: Uses vegetated channels to safely convey runoff and prevent soil erosion.
• Herbaceous Wind Barriers: Plants narrow strips of herbaceous vegetation across fields to reduce wind erosion.
• Mulching: Applies plant residue or other materials to bare soil to protect and improve it.
• No-Till: Leaves crop residue on the soil surface to minimize soil disturbance.
• Nutrient Management: Manages fertilizer rate, timing, placement, and source to reduce nutrient loss.
• Reduced Till: Limits soil disturbance during seedbed preparation while retaining protective residue cover.
• Riparian Forest Buffer: Plants trees and grasses along waterways to filter runoff and stabilize banks.
• Roofs and Covers: Covers manure and waste facilities to keep out rain and snow.
• Silvopasture: Integrates trees, forage, and livestock in one managed pasture system.
• Soil Carbon Amendment: Applies organic material to soil to improve health and store carbon.
• Strip Cropping: Alternates erosion-resistant and erosion-prone crops in strips across a field.
• Tree/Shrub Establishment: Establishes woody plants through seeding, seedlings, cuttings, or natural regeneration.
• Vegetative Barriers: Plants narrow rows of perennial vegetation along contours to slow runoff and erosion.
• Wildlife Habitat Planting: Plants herbaceous vegetation and shrubs to create or restore wildlife habitat.
• Windbreaks: Uses linear tree and shrub plantings to reduce wind speed and protect farms.