High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes April 23, 2012

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes 04-23-2012

Summary: Tomatoes in northern and southern Indiana are doing well. Discussion topics included tomato varieties and advice on tunnel suppliers, structures, and construction. Additional resources are listed at the end of the posting.

Join us again on May 7, 2012, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30-12:30 Central. Point your web browser to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/htct/ and click on the phone icon to be dialed in to the call, or dial 1-866-492-6283.

Reports:  

In southern Indiana, tomatoes in greenhouse and hoophouse look good. Butterflies/moths were observed in greenhouse last two weeks so an organic Bt product was used which controlled them well. One problem this year has been the ground cover. In past years black plastic mulch in the row and straw between the rows worked well. This year no black plastic in rows was used because weather was so warm it seemed unlikely there would be a benefit. However, the absence of plastic has really slowed the crop down. He has tried black weed control fabric in the past and it worked ok, but no longer uses it because it is necessary to clean and sanitize it at the end of the season.

In northern Indiana tomatoes planted in a small high tunnel (15X50) in the beginning of March are knee-high with buds, and are doing well. A second crop plant the end of March in a 30X72 tunnel also looks good. The tomatoes in both tunnels are covered with a row cover when it gets cold (40s, 30s, or 20s). Peppers were also planted at the end of March, even though it may be a little cold for them. This operation grows a number of tomato varieties; they are still experimenting to see what will work best. Most are indeterminate. Examples include: Big Beef, Cherokee Purple, Fourth of July (an early variety, did well last year with tomatoes harvested in June). Also cherry tomatoes: Sweet 100, Sweet Million, a black cherry, and Sungold.

In east central Indiana an organic farm is in the process of tunnel construction and plans to have 12,000 sq. ft. under cover by the end of the summer.

In Wanatah, the frame for the first movable tunnel at Pinney-Purdue has been erected and can be rolled along the rails. https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p19359101/

Questions/Discussion: Determinate vs Indeterminate Tomatoes

What’s better? Some say determinates won’t do well inside, will get pithy, and won’t taste good. One participants’ experience with Mt. Spring bore this out: the plant got large and tomatoes were not good eating quality. He uses mostly indeterminates now. However, he has seen determinates in a stake and weave system in Haygrove tunnels, managed using tractors like one would in a field situation. What experiences do people have in Indiana? Is anyone using determinate varieties in tunnels with stake and weave? How do they do?

A northern Indiana grower reports that he used BHN 589 last year, with stake and weave. Plants did well and tomatoes tasted good.

Some other varieties that have been observed in Indiana tunnels or in greenhouses using in-ground culture with stake and weave or cages for support include: Mountain Fresh, Celebrity, Florida 91, BHN varieties. Plants usually get bigger than outdoors Less nitrogen is needed inside. It is not uncommon for plants to get so big that the stake and weave or cage doesn’t adequately support them. For some images of various tomatoes and support systems in high tunnels, see http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/veg/tomsupport/tomato_support_systems/tomato_support_systems.html.

The high tunnel listserv from KSU has had discussions on this topic (see link to listserv in Resources section). Some varieties mentioned on that list include: Polbig, Florida 91, and BHN 589.

Questions/Discussion: Construction: Where to Get Tunnels, What Size, Mistakes to Avoid, etc.

The high tunnels web site has a list of sources for structures: http://www.hightunnels.org/resources.htm#StructureSuppliers

One individual purchased a 30X72 tunnel from R&M Produce Suppliers in Goshen. 

It’s important to make the tunnel strong enough to support snow, any crop supports (e.g. tomato strings) you might attach to the tunnel, and also to anchor it well against wind.

It’s important to think about how to get the heat out of the tunnel. Wider hoophouses are more difficult to cool with a passive system. In S. Indiana a 30-ft. wide structure with 4-ft. sidewalls, 4-ft. roof vent, and top 4 ft. of end walls dropped down still gets too hot for tomatoes in the summer. 30% shade cloth is used to reduce heat. Past experience showed that 50% or 60% shade cloth was too much shade for tomatoes.

In northern Indiana a grower is looking into applying a ‘whitewash’ to the hoophouse for shade in the summer.

In both northern and southern Indiana yellow shoulder on tomato has been a problem when temperatures are high in the tunnel.

It’s common for people to buy kits and put the structure together themselves.

The high tunnels listserv has also had discussions on structures. The discussion can be found by searching the listserv archive.

Please contribute to this discussion. Share your questions, experiences, and ideas by posting comments.

Resources:

High Tunnel Listserv

http://listserv.ksu.edu/web?SUBED1=HIGHTUNNELS&A=1

Pesticide Use in Greenhouse and High Tunnels from the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide 2012 (ID-56). Includes tables of insecticides and fungicides labeled for greenhouse use on vegetables.

http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/GreenhouseTunnel.pdf

The March 20, 2008 Hoophouses and High Tunnels program includes a nice presentation by Adam Montri about structures and building a hoophouse. You can download a pdf of the powerpoint, and watch the recorded presentation. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/tristate_organic/hoophouse_hightunnel_2008.html

Thanks to Roy Ballard for the following resources. Included are publications with enterprise budgets, and tomato and bramble production guidelines. They will be available in the file share pod of the HTCT Adobe Connect meeting room for a while. https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/htct/

Horticultural Crop Production in High Tunnels in the United States: A Snapshot. T. Carey et al. 2009. HortTech 19:37-43.

High Tunnel Raspberries and Blackberries. C. Heidenreich et al. 2008. Cornell University. http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry.html

Iowa Vegetable Budgets. C. Chase. 2006. A1-17. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm

High Tunnel Yields. L. Jett. W. Virginia University.

Model Business Plan for Season Extension with Hoophouses. D. Conner. 2010. Michigan State University.

High Tunnel Tomato Production. L. Jett. 2004. Univ. of Missouri. http://extension.missouri.edu/p/M170

In-Ground Greenhouse Tomato Production. A. Carver. 2008(?). Univ. of Tennessee.

Should Production in High Tunnels Be Part of Your Specialty Crop Enterprise? HC Wien et al. 2009. Smart Marketing Newsletter. Cornell University.

Check out other resources at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/veg/plast.shtml.

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes, April 9, 2012

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes: April 9, 2012

Report: Tony Bailey provided information regarding the NRCS EQIP program for high tunnels. This is a program designed to help offset the cost of a high tunnel for producers. Currently there are already forty-seven contracts confirmed for the program (in Indiana) for a total of $300,000. At this point, all the funds allocated for this year have been claimed. There are still some funding opportunities available for those interested in switching to organic or who already grow crops organically. There is a small chance funds will be shifted from other states that did not utilize their entire allotment and thus NRCS is still taking applications. http://www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/eqiphomepage.html#Seasonal_High_Tunnel_Initiative

Report: A producer in southern IN shared information on his tomatoes. He indicated that two varieties that perform well for him are ‘Trust’ and ‘Match’ in a greenhouse and high tunnel setting. He is also growing two other varieties (‘Cherokee Purple’ and ‘Better Boy’) in tunnels and the field. Some of the issues he has dealt with in past seasons included heat build-up in the summer and disease issues. With the excess heat in the summer time, production falls off and since he continues to maintain the crop it allows little time for him to establish a cover crop in the tunnels to build up organic matter. Some of the pathogens he deals with most seasons in tomatoes are sclerotinia and grey mold. He has noticed this season with the early warm weather that insects such as caterpillars/worms and weeds have become a problem earlier than normal.

Report: Shubin Saha and Scott Monroe. There was discussion regarding tomato symptoms seen in various locations in southwestern Indiana. Scott Monroe had images from high tunnel tomato operations which showed tomato plants exhibiting leaf curling. Based on the images, it seems that the cause is most likely related to physiological tomato curling. ( https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p93485184/ , https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p13536189/)The images Shubin had from the current research underway at SWPAC were of tomatoes that exhibited some leaf curling and distortion. (https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p11285964/ and https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p25267362/ . The symptoms of these plants appeared different than what was shared by Scott. These symptoms were more similar to damage associated with growth regulator herbicide exposure. 

Join us again on April 23, 2012, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30-12:30 Central. Point your web browser to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/htct/ and click on the phone icon to be dialed in to the call, or dial 1-866-492-6283.

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes April 2, 2012

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes April 2, 2012

We had a High Tunnel Crop Talk this week since it had been advertised, but normally plan to talk every other week.  Join us again on April 9, 2012, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30-12:30 Central. Point your web browser to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/htct/ and click on the phone icon to be dialed in to the call, or dial 1-866-492-6283. Tony Bailey from NRCS will join us to talk about the EQIP program for high tunnel grants in Indiana.

Reports: In southern Indiana tomatoes transplanted into tunnels around the first of March were about a foot high last week. If weather turns wet, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some Sclerotinia (also known as white mold or timber rot) turn up. (Scott Monroe) (see issues 435 http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/vegcrop/VCH2004/VCH435.pdf and 463 http://www.btny.purdue.edu/pubs/vegcrop/VCH2006/VCH463.pdf of the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH) for an image and description)

Another problem often seen on tomatoes around this time of year is curling leaves. Sometimes this is observed when there is too much moisture. In other cases a heater that is improperly vented or exhausted releases enough ethylene into the air to cause tomato leaves to bend down or curl. Other pollutants from heaters can cause speckling of leaves and/or scorching of leaf margins. (See VCH issues 487 http://www.btny.purdue.edu/pubs/vegcrop/VCH2007/VCH487.pdf and 474 http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/vegcrop/VCH2007/VCH474.pdf for image of epinasty on fall-grown greenhouse tomatoes and information on heaters in greenhouses.)

In Wanatah, rails for the first movable tunnel at Pinney-Purdue have been installed https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p85997770. They are on packed gravel that was placed in a trench approximately 7 in. deep x 8 in. wide. Each 3-ft. ground post at the end of the rail has a short piece of horizontal rebar through holes drilled about 10 in. from the bottom end of the post https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/p79877158. The rebar will help to anchor the post into the concrete poured in the hole around the post. (Liz Maynard)

Suggestions for future topics: General information about high tunnels and their uses, supplying plant nutrients during the growing season.

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes March 26, 2012

High Tunnel Crop Talk Notes March 26, 2012

We held the first High Tunnel Crop Talk today! A summary of our discussion is below. (Participants, please let me know if there’s a need for any corrections; I’ve done my best but may have missed or misunderstood something – Liz.)

Join us again in two weeks, April 9, 2012, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30-12:30 Central. Point your web browser to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/htct/ and click on the phone icon to be dialed in to the call, or dial 1-866-492-6283. Tony Bailey from NRCS will join us to talk about the EQIP program for high tunnel grants in Indiana.

Report: Matt Rudisill’s research on how organic fertility amendments are mineralized in the soil is getting underway for the second season at Purdue’s Meig’s Research Farm near Lafayette. He is comparing nutrient release from different sources, including composted chicken manure from Rose Acre Farms and plant-based amendments. Last year the plant-based source was alfalfa meal and this year it will be a cover crop of hairy vetch, plus additional alfalfa meal if needed. The hairy vetch grew very well over winter and is still growing in the tunnel. Bell pepper seedlings are getting started in a greenhouse and will be transplanted to the tunnel later. At this time he is taking soil samples in the greenhouse.

Report: At an organic farm in Ohio, preparation is underway for two new tunnels, 20-ft. wide, to be used for both summer and winter crops. The tunnels, from Tunnel Vision Hoops, will have retractable dome ends that allow for more space and handle winds better. Double poly will be used, with blocks between the layers to provide an air pocket that will provide additional insulation.

Question: is 20 ft. wide enough to maintain heat in the structure for winter crops?

A smaller structure will lose heat more quickly, but will also warm up more quickly. (Shubin Saha)

The Virtual Grower program can be used to estimate heating costs for greenhouses of various sizes and construction. It was developed by Jonathon Frantz, USDA/ARS in Toldeo and may be downloaded from http://www.ars.usda.gov/services/software/download.htm?softwareid=309. See the end of this post for example calculations related to this question. (Liz Maynard)

Report: Tunnel-grown organic fall-bearing red raspberries in Ohio are 3 to 4 inches tall. They are grown on a TGS trellis system. The raspberries are in their fourth season. They have done well until last year when yellow rust significantly decreased production. Canes have been cut back and roses along fence line removed. A soil test showed need for additional nitrogen so compost was applied and red clover was sown in the aisles. The berries are mainly sold wholesale to grocery stores, with a few to restaurants and farmers market.

Report: Shubin Saha, Vegetable Specialist located at Southwest Purdue Ag Program (SWPAP) in Vincennes, has two of three 30X96-ft. structures ready for production this season at SWPAP. He will be doing a replicated tomato variety trial this year. The varieties include 7 indeterminate (Big Dena, Panzer, Arbizon, New Girl, Estiva, Imperial 643, and Potenza) and 2 determinate (Rocky top and Red Deuce). He is emphasizing inderminate varieties because they make better used of the vertical space. Tomatoes are on 5-ft. centers, 2-ft. in-row spacing. Seed companies represented include Syngenta, Enza Zaden, Johnny’s, and Harris Moran. He is finishing up fertilizer application in the tunnel and will soon be laying plastic mulch.

Question: How do you spray tomatoes in high tunnels?

Create a trellis. Remove lateral shoots on tomato plants so there is just a single stem. Use a braided steel cable down center of row. Drop a string down from cable (‘Tomahook’ and other spool systems are available) and train tomato along it. As tomato grows and fruit are harvested, lean and lower tomato plants.

For spraying, Shubin has used a backpack sprayer in the past. This year he has developed a sprayer that can be pulled through the high tunnel. It is based on a garden cart, has a mixing tank, battery for the pump, and boom with nozzles spraying parallel to the ground. (Shubin Saha)

Diseases likely to be found on tomatoes in greenhouse include early blight, leaf mold, and bacterial diseases. Management recommendations are available in the tomato section of the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, ID-56 http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/. On page 12 materials for use greenhouses are listed http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/GreenhouseTunnel.pdf. (Dan Egel)

Question: What happens to tomatoes when it gets down into the 40’s or high 30’s? Would it make sense to put a propane construction heater in the tunnel?

When it gets below 50°F tomato growth slows down. Wouldn’t recommend a construction-type propane heater in the tunnel. (Shubin Saha)

Question: How do you avoid condensation in the greenhouse? Other than venting, is there any solution?

When using two layers of poly with a fan blowing air between the layers, set the fan to pull air from outside the greenhouse, not from inside the greenhouse. This will reduce condensation between the layers of plastic. To reduce condensation inside the greenhouse, vent, especially just before the end of the day. (Shubin Saha and Liz Maynard)

Greenhouse films with anti-condensation properties are available. They have an additive so that drops don’t form and the water rolls down the plastic instead of dripping. Several brands are available. (Roy Ballard)

There are also products that can be sprayed on to reduce drop-formation; they do rinse off over time. One example is Sun Clear. (Liz Maynard)

Question: What are some good resources for someone starting to research high tunnel structures and production?

The Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Connection has links to recorded programs on high tunnels, and key sites at other states. See http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/veg/plast.shtml .

Report: Liz Maynard reported on two 48X30 rolling high tunnels under construction at the Pinney-Purdue Ag Center in Wanatah. Work is beginning on shallow trenches for the rails on which the wheels attached to the bottom of the structures roll.

Resource: This publication might be of value especially if you are using compost or manures in your production system. It discusses potential for carryover of particular herbicides in compost and manure. (Roy Ballard)

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/ncorganic/special-pubs/herbicide_carryover.pdf

Example calculations from the Virtual Grower Program (see above)

The Virtual Grower program doesn’t exactly answer the question posed today – how much colder would a 20-ft.-wide greenhouse be than a 30-ft.-wide greenhouse – but it can answer the question how much more would it cost to heat a 20-ft greenhouse than a 30-ft. greenhouse. If one greenhouse costs more to heat than another, than without heat it would be colder. The table below shows relative heating costs to maintain a minimum temperature of 30°F in various double-poly greenhouses, 16 ft. tall with 4-ft. sidewalls and corrugated polycarbonate end walls, in Toledo, Ohio. The calculations were done using Virtual Grower 3. The 100 X 30 ft. greenhouse costs more to heat because of the increased area, but costs the least on a per square foot basis. Comparing the 100 X 20 and the 67 x 30 structures, both about 2000 sq. ft., the 67 X 30 costs slightly less to heat. The cost assumes a propane heater operating at 45% efficiency and propane at $2.40/gallon.

Length X Width (ft.)	Total Area (sq. ft.)	Cost per Year ($)	Relative Cost	Relative Cost per Sq. Ft.
100 X 20	2000	2,125	1.00	1.00
100 X 30	3000	2,687	1.26	0.84
67 X 30	2000	2,000	0.94	0.94

(Liz Maynard)

Contacts

Name: email (all @ purdue.edu)

Liz Maynard, Horticulture Specialist at Purdue in Valparaiso: emaynard

Dan Egel, Vegetable Pathologist at Southwest Purdue Ag Program in Vincennes: egel

Shubin Saha, Vegetable Specialist at Southwest Purdue Ag Program in Vincennes: ssaha

Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension, Hancock County: rballard

Note: Mention of specific products does not constitute endorsement by Purdue University.

Join Purdue Extension for ‘High Tunnel Crop Talk’

What: A regular discussion of crop progress and current issues for crops in high tunnels and food crops in greenhouses.

When: Monday, March 26, 2012, 12:30-1:30 Eastern/11:30-12:30 Central, and every other week for the growing season. Dates through June: April 2, April 9, April 23, May 7, May 21, June 4, June 18.

Who: Growers, Purdue Extension Educators and Specialists, Students, NRCS Staff, Others interested in the topic

Where: Dial 1-866-492-6283 for audio. To see images and other shared resources (optional), point browser to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/htct/ (high speed internet only)

These bi-weekly discussions hosted by Purdue staff will include reports on progress of high tunnel or greenhouse crops, and questions and answers about current production issues. Participants may share images of their crop by emailing them to emaynard at purdue.edu by 8:00 p.m. Sunday with HTCT in the subject line. During the discussion, photos and other visuals will be viewable in an Adobe Connect meeting room accessible via high-speed internet. A summary of each discussion will be posted on the Indiana High Tunnels blog at http://www.indianahightunnels.blogspot.com/.

Sponsored by:

Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

USDA/SARE Indiana PDP Program

For more information:

Liz Maynard

emaynard at purdue.edu

219-531-4200 ext. 4206