Crops Produced Using High Tunnels - CRAAQ

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La venue de ce conférencier a été d ibl â tirendue possible grâce au soutien

financier du ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation

Crops Produced Using High Tunnels

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What are some crops being grown within high tunnels?

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30

40

50

60

70

No. re spond ents

0

10

20s

Tomatoes

Cucurbits

Peppers

Salad Greens

Spinach

Green Beans

Beets

Brassicas

Carrots

Onions

Peas

Potatoes

Strawberries

Herbs

Cut Flow

ers

Source: 2004-07 Central Great Plains High Tunnel Survey

2004 2008

020406080

100

Res

pons

e %

1

2 34

0 Tom

ato

SaladG

reens

Solanums

Berries

Cut

Flowers

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Determinate Tomatoes

40 inch (1.2 m) 40 inch (1.2 m) canopy heightcanopy height

Indeterminate Tomatoes

72 inch (1.8 m) canopy 72 inch (1.8 m) canopy heightheight

‘Big Beef’

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‘Sungold’ cherry tomatoes on a string trellis.

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What do we know about high tunnel tomato production?

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1. Optimal spacing: 0.6-0.9m2/plant

Tomatoes are high light requiring plants.

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Most commercial high tunnels have ≈ 280-380 tomato plants per crop cycle.

2. Use larger transplants

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3. Temperature Management

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May be using 30 hours of labor per crop in venting.

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Growers indicate production issuesGrowers indicate production issues::

60

%)

2004 2006 2008

0

10

20

30

40

50Pr

opor

tion

of

resp

onde

nts (

%

0

Insec

ts

Diseas

es

Wate

r mgt.

Temp. m

gt

Nutrien

t mgt

Wind

Factor

Min/Max Thermometer

Air temperatures ≥ 90°F (32°C) or ≤ 55°F (13°C)can reduce tomato fruit set and affect pollination.

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100

150

ratu

re (F

)

High Tunnel (managed)OutsideHigh Tunnel (unmanaged)

0

50

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

Time (h)

Tem

per

Energy Curtain

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Low Tunnels

13

14

15

High Temperatures

100

150

ratu

re (F

)

High Tunnel (managed)OutsideHigh Tunnel (unmanaged)

0

50

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

Time (h)

Tem

per

16

Yellow Shoulder Disorder

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Ridge or peak vent

51” Ridge or peak g pvent

A. Montri

High Tunnel Ridge VentHigh Tunnel Ridge Vent

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Using shade fabric will significantly iimprove tomato fruit quality and yield.

Do not limit light!

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100120

e (F

)High Tunnel Ambient Shade cloth

20406080

Tem

pera

ture

0

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

Time (h)

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Splitting:

High Day Temps Low g y pNight Temps

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NON-GRAFTED GRAFTED

4. Average yields ≈ 10kg/m2

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Cover crops within high tunnels.p g

Grass/legume mix

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Other Solanum crops such as peppers and eggplants.

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“HOT HOUSE”

Peppers

Basil

Melons Tomatoes

Eggplants

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Optimal planting arrangement: 0.15 m2/plant

Optimal temperature: 21-27°C

Average marketable yield: 4 kg/plant

LOW TUNNELSLOW TUNNELS

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30

Vine/Cucurbit Crops

Cantaloupes

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MuskmelonsSquash

Plant density can be increased by trellising.

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ParthenocarpicParthenocarpic Summer Squash

Cultivar Seed Sourcey Squash No./plant

Squash/high tunnelz

Comments

Sultan JS 5.0 1750 Parthenocarpic; medium dark

green fruit

Magda JS 4.2 1470 Pale green fruit

Spineless Beauty

SW 4.5 1575 Spine-free

Parthenon Thompson & Morgan

4.2 1470 Parthenocarpic; dark green fruit

Tigress JS 3.3 1155 Virus resistant

Venus Thompson & Morgan

3.3 1155 Parthenocarpic, dark green fruitg fruit

Bush Baby JS 1.3 455 Small, striped fruit

Costata Romanesca

JS 1.2 420 Open-pollinated, striped fruit

Large plant

LSD(0.05) 2.0

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‘Bush Baby’

‘Sultan’

‘Costata Romanesca’

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Cucumbers are a profitable high tunnel crop for spring and fall.

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Berries

Brambles

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Prmocane-fruiting raspberries

Optimal planting arrangement: 40 canes/meter

Optimal temperature: 21-24°C

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Floricane-fruiting blackberriesg

Primocane-fruiting blackberries

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1500-2000 strawberry plants per commercial high tunnel

Strawberries

g

Optimal planting arrangement: 3-row bed

Optimal temperature: 20-25°C

Average marketable yield: 680g/plant

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40

50

60

ft.)

Harvest frequency of high tunnel strawberries:

10

20

30

40

Oun

ce p

er r

ow (3

0 f

0

10

April 10-18

April 24 April 26 May 4 May 10 May 22 May 25 June 5

Date

O

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Salad Greens

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G d C ltGround Culture

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Fl t B dFloat Bed

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Root Vegetables

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8101214

t per

ft

NUM WT

02468

Num

ber/

wt

Apa

Bole

Nect

Mok

Nap

SS54

Nels

Herache

ero

tar

kum

poli

4 son

rcules

Salad Greens

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$6.50/FT2

http://www.hoophouse.msu.edu/

$5/FT2

Thank you, and please visit the high tunnel web site: