a nutritional concentration gradient exists. This allows the banded nitrogen (N) and potassium

(K) to diffuse into the soil and replace those nutrients already incorporated into the soil. Plastic

is extremely important in sustaining the moisture, otherwise the nutrients can be lost to leaching

by natural rain, or the soil may dry out and result in evaporative loss of soil moisture

(Geraldson, et al., 1965).

 Methyl bromide plays an important role in the full-bed mulch process. The chemical

 formulation primarily used in the Palm Beach area is 98% methyl bromide and 2% chloropicrin.

 Some growers are using 67% methyl bromide and 33% chloropicrin in areas where fungal

 diseases are prominent. This is due to the effective control exhibited by chloropicrin as a

 fungicide.

 Eggplant can be established by direct field seeding or as transplants (Hart, no date).

Transplants are usually purchased by the grower and installed in the field by machine (Shuler,

1993).

 Stakes are usually placed in the rows when plants are two to three weeks old. Plastic

twine is used to tie the plant to the stake and is usually done three to four times during the

growth of the plant. Plastic twine is used due to the ease of removal by burning. Once the final

harvest is complete, plants may be killed with a herbicide such as Paraquat or Roundup. Some

growers remove old vegetation by mowing, without the aid of herbicides. Plastics are then

removed, unless a second crop is planted to re-use the plastic. Approximately 60 to 70 percent

of eggplant grown in the Palm Beach area use stakes which are either placed by every plant, or

every other plant within the row. Stakes can be removed by a stake puller and can be sterilized