Season Extension of Tomatoes With High Tunnels › tristate_organic › fruit... · Cut Flowers...
15
11/13/2008 1 Season Extension of Tomatoes With High Tunnels 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 N o . r e s p o n d e n t s Tomatoes Cucurbits Peppers Salad Greens Spinach Green Beans Beets Brassicas Carrots Onions Peas Potatoes Strawberries Herbs Cut Flowers What are some crops being grown within high tunnels? Source: 2004-07 Central Great Plains High Tunnel Survey Many factors affect the decision of which crops to produce within a high tunnel. Crops that benefit from high tunnels either in terms of accelerated maturity, higher yields, or improved quality are selected by growers. Also, crops that have a compact morphology or are conducive to trellising are well suited for high tunnel culture. Crop choice for high tunnels: Why produce high tunnel tomatoes? • Premium price for early and late, vine-ripe tomatoes. • Less pest damage and environmental stress relative to field tomato production. • ↑ Marketable yield ↓ Input costs
Transcript of Season Extension of Tomatoes With High Tunnels › tristate_organic › fruit... · Cut Flowers...
11/13/2008
1
Season Extension of Tomatoes
With High Tunnels
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
No. respondents
Tom
atoes
Cucurbits
Peppers
Salad Greens
Spinach
Green B
eans
Beets
Brassicas
Carrots
Onions
Peas
Potatoes
Strawberries
Herbs
Cut Flow
ers
What are some crops being grown within high tunnels?
Source: 2004-07 Central Great Plains High Tunnel Survey
Many factors affect the decision of which crops to produce within a high tunnel. Crops that benefit from high tunnels either in terms of accelerated maturity, higher yields, or improved quality are selected by growers.
Also, crops that have a compact morphology or are conducive to trellising are well suited for high tunnel culture.
Crop choice for high tunnels:
Why produce high tunnel tomatoes?
• Premium price for early and late, vine-ripe tomatoes.
• Less pest damage and environmental stress relative to field tomato production.
• ↑ Marketable yield ↓ Input costs
11/13/2008
2
11/13/2008
3
Indeterminate tomatoes mature later, have relatively smaller fruit, yield more fruit, and have larger plants relative to determinate cultivars.
Row Covers
High Tunnels
Growers use high tunnels to supplement field production of tomatoes.
Spring/Early Summer
Summer
Fall
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
May17
May24
May31
June7
June14
June21
June28
July4
July9
July12
July18
Date
Ave
rage
Pri
ce ($
/lb
Wholesale Price ($/lb)
Midwest USA Wholesale tomato prices: May-July
GreenhouseHigh tunnel
Field
11/13/2008
4
Tomato
Melon
BasilEggplant
Tomatoes
Cut FlowersCucurbits
Potential Varieties:• Bush Celebrity (early)
• Sun Start (early)
• Mt. Spring (early)
• Merced* (early)
• Applause (mid-early)
• Sunbrite/Sunshine (early)
• Amelia VR (mid-early)
• Floralina (midseason)
• Big Beef (mid-early indeterminate)
• Florida 91 (heat set)
• Conestoga
• Mt. Fresh (+) (midseason)
• Celebrity
• Fabulous
• Carolina Gold (yellow)
• Pik Rite (midseason)
• Ultra Sweet (indeterminate)
• Sweet Olive (grape)
• Sun Gold (cherry)
• Heirlooms (many!)
When should tomatoes be planted within a high tunnel?
Tomatoes can be transplanted within a high tunnel when soil temperature at the 2-3 inch depth is 60 F or greater.
11/13/2008
5
Quality seed pays.
Healthy, 4-7 week-old transplants ready for transplanting.
>95% germination
Rapid emergence
Stocky transplants which exhibit even growth are desired.
Do not withhold nitrogen from transplants!
100-200 ppm of N per watering. This is equivalent to:
3-7 ounces of 20-20-20 per 50 gallons of water.7-15 ounces of 9-45-15 per 50 gallons of water.Or use 5 oz. of 20-20-20/5 gal of water thru a hozon injector.
Nitrogen Fertilization for Transplants: Larger transplants result in earlier yield.
>3 in.Root channels
11/13/2008
6
0.1 fluid ounces of Imidacloprid per 1000 plants.
Plastic mulch + raised bed
Supplemental heatIntercropping tomatoes
White plastic mulchRed plastic mulch
11/13/2008
7
Transplanting Tomatoes:
Spacing:Depends on cultivar:
Space early-season cultivars 18-24 inches between plants.
Space mid- and late- season (determinate and indeterminate types) 24-36 inches apart.
Each bed can be planted 40-48 inches on center (6-7 beds per 30 ft x 96 ft high tunnel).
Most commercial high tunnels have ≈280-380 tomato plants per crop cycle.
Double rows are suitable for peppers and eggplants but not for tomatoes.
Do not crowd tomatoes within the high tunnel.
11/13/2008
8
Applying 1”-1 ½” of water per week to a 2500 ft2 high tunnel, requires 800-1000 gallons of water per high tunnel per week.
Drip tube
Medium flow drip tape with drippers 4-12 in. apart.
Use one drip line per row.Fertilizer injector
Fertigation
Days after Transplanting
Weekly N (lbs/acre)
Weekly K (lbs/acre)
0-21 3.5 7.0
22-49 4.9 10.0
50-70 7.0 14.0
71- 8.0 16.0
Fertigation of High Tunnel Tomatoes:
Assuming a preplant application of 50lbs/acre nitrogen.
Ammonium Nitrate
Urea
Potassium Nitrate
Calcium Nitrate
Fertilizer Salt Index
High
Low
Blossom End Rot
11/13/2008
9
A medium-weight (or 2x light row cover) row cover is used to protect the plants from frost damage.
No Row Cover + High Tunnel
(22°F ambient)
Row Cover + High Tunnel
Chilling injury to tomato foliage
11/13/2008
10
48”-60” cages
String trellis
Training and Staking High Tunnel Tomatoes
Stake and Weave Pruning:
Pruning (suckering) is performed on some tomato cultivars to remove excessive foliage and promote earlier fruiting.
Un-pruned
Pruned
High tunnels must be properly vented to facilitate pollination of tomatoes and prevent pest development.
Min/Max Thermometer
Air temperatures ≥ 90°F or ≤ 55°F can reduce tomato fruit set and affect pollination.
11/13/2008
11
High Tunnel Roof Vent High Tunnel Ridge Vent
High Tunnel Tomato Pests and Disorders
Splitting: Temperature
“Tipping”: Temperature or GeneticsRussetting: Temperature
Internal White Tissue: Temperature/Light Intensity
Sunscald/Yellow Shoulder
11/13/2008
12
Grey Wall (Excess N; Low K)
Reducing yellow shoulder on tomatoes:
The N:K ratio should be 1:2
Choose cultivars with uniform ripening.
Avoid any stress which reduces the root system.
Fruit should not be exposed to intense sunlight.
Using shade fabric will significantly improve tomato fruit quality and yield.
Mild leaf rolling:Lower leaves curl upward.
Severe leaf rolling:All leaves curl upward.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus
“Ghost spots”
Botrytis Gray Mold
11/13/2008
13
Leaf Mold
Keeping humidity in the high tunnel from reaching a high level (>85%) is crucial for preventing many diseases.
Tomato Fruit Worm
Stink BugAphids
Spider mite
damage to high tunnel tomatoes.
Farmscaping:
Area around each high tunnel can be seeded with cover crops that attract beneficial insects.
Hairy Vetch
11/13/2008
14
Marketable Yields
High Tunnel: Average marketable yield: 12-20 lbs/plant.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
lbs
tom
atoe
s
Pounds 15
Yield/Plant Yield/High Tunnel
Yield/acre equiv
0500
100015002000250030003500400045005000
lbs
tom
atoe
s
Pounds 15 4680
Yield/Plant Yield/High Tunnel
Yield/acre equiv
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
lbs
tom
atoe
s
Pounds 15 4680 79560
Yield/Plant Yield/High Tunnel
Yield/acre equiv 0
10002000300040005000600070008000
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
Price/lb. ($)
Net
Rev
enue
/100
0 ft2
($
8 lbs /plant 10 lbs/plant 12 lbs/plant
Break Even Price
How profitable are high tunnel tomatoes?
11/13/2008
15
University of Missouri Extension Publication No. M 170.
Thank you, and please visit the high tunnel web site:
