VEGETABLE CULTIVAR AND CULTURAL TRIALS 2000

Transcription

1 VEGETABLE CULTIVAR AND CULTURAL TRIALS 2000 PREPARED BY: D. WATERER J. BANTLE FUNDED BY: AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND & AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION FUND Department of Plant Sciences University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canaa, S7N 5A8 Telephone: (306) Fax: (306)

2 High Tunnel Demonstration Project High tunnels are similar to low tunnels in esign an function, except that; a) one high tunnel covers several rows, b) the high tunnels are wie enough to allow crop growth to full maturity uner the tunnels an c) the tunnels are tall enough to allow spraying, cultivation an harvesting to occur with the tunnels intact. Rolling up the sies an/or opening the en oors of the high tunnels provie both ventilation an access to the crop by pollinating insects. Interior an exterior of high tunnel structure. The initial costs of materials an installation of high tunnels are consierably higher than traitional low tunnels. However, the economics of prouction with high tunnels may still be favourable if; a) they increase yiels, b) they enhance earliness resulting in greater market access at a time when prices are at a premium, c) the high tunnels are urable enough to be use for several seasons, thereby amortizing the costs of materials an installation over a greater length of time. High tunnels trials have been compare with stanar low tunnels in three years of trials ( ) conucte at the Horticulture Science Fiel Research Station in Saskatoon an at the Canaa - Saskatchewan Irrigation Development Centre (CSIDC), Outlook. The crops teste in Saskatoon were; muskmelons, peppers an tomatoes. All crops were transplante. Plants in the stanar management plots were covere from transplanting until early July by tunnels constructe of clear perforate polyethylene (melons) or spun bone polyester (peppers) over metal hoops. The tomatoes were not covere. Air an soil temperatures were monitore insie the high tunnel, in the stanar tunnels an in the open. The crops were harveste twice weekly once fruit reache maturity. were counte, weighe an grae for acceptability base on locally accepte stanars. Harvesting of the stanar management plots continue until the first killing frost at which time all remaining fruit were harveste. Harvesting of the high tunnel was iscontinue once col temperatures or senescence effectively cease fruit prouction. The 1999 an 2000 growing seasons were much cooler than in The first frost was 2 weeks later in 1998 than in 1999 an High Tunnel Management - At the conclusion of the thir growing season, the cover at the Saskatoon site was still in goo conition, but the cover at the more expose Outlook site ha to be replace ue to tearing. Daytime temperatures within the high tunnels were well above outsie air temperatures but were somewhat lower than the temperatures recore insie the stanar low tunnels. Consequently, the crop uner the low tunnel evelope as quickly in the spring as the crop in the high tunnel. Only after the low tunnels ha to be remove ue to crowing i the high tunnel prouce a significant growth avantage. No unusual problems with insects were observe although but mice thrive in the warm sheltere conitions of the high tunnel. The high tunnel only provie about 3 o C of frost protection - suggesting limite potential for extension of the growing season.

3 Melons : Crop evelopment was more rapi in 1998 than in 1999 an 2000, resulting in substantial ifferences in yiels. The first fruit always mature 2-3 weeks earlier in the high tunnel than in the stanar treatments. In 1998, total yiels of mature fruit of cv. Earligol were 23 higher in the high tunnel than in the stanar treatment. In 1999, the high tunnel out-yiele the stanar tunnels by a factor of 4 fol, while in 2000 none of the fruit in the stanar tunnel treatments mature before the first frost. flavor an sugar content were comparable for fruit prouce either insie or outsie the high tunnel. Table 1. Yiel characteristics for Earligol melon grown insie the high tunnel vs stanar prouction practices in 1998, 1999 an High Tunnel Stanar LSD NS ** ** ** ** ** ** ** 0 Tomatoes: Flowering was first note two weeks earlier insie the high tunnel than in the stanar management regime. In all three years, the first fruit mature 2-3 weeks earlier in the high tunnel than in the stanar treatment an only a small fraction of the fruit set in the stanar prouction system mature prior to the first frost. Plants in the high tunnel were largely unaffecte by frost through until October. yiels (weight) of mature fruit of cv. Spitfire were 33 greater in the high tunnel than for the stanar treatment in In 1999, yiels of mature fruit in the high tunnel were 200 greater than outsie, while in 2000, yiels for cv Sunbrite were 50 higher in the high tunnels than outsie. taste an overall appearance was comparable insie or outsie the high tunnel. The incience of fruit rot was lower insie the tunnel than outsie in 1998 an 1999, but in 2000 a high percentage of the fruit in the high tunnels were grae out ue to bacterial speck. At the termination of the trial there were still substantial numbers of immature fruit on plants growing insie the high tunnel. yiels (mature + immature) were only slightly higher insie the high tunnel than in the stanar management regime. Table 2. Yiel characteristics for Spitfire tomatoes grown insie the high tunnel vs stanar management practices. High Tunnel Stanar LSD 0 NS 0 ** ** ** ** NS 0

4 Peppers: In 1998 an 2000, the pepper plants insie the high tunnel lacke vigor throughout the season. No efinitive cause of this problem coul be etermine. The first fruit turne re 2-3 weeks earlier in the high tunnel than in the stanar treatment. In 1998, yiels of mature re fruit for cv, Staon s Select were 73 greater in the high tunnel than for the stanar treatment. In 1999, no fruit mature outsie of the high tunnel, while yiels of mature fruit insie the high tunnel were excellent. In 2000, yiels insie the high tunnel were very poor. Outsie the high tunnel, the crop grew normally, but few fruit mature prior to fall frost. fruit size an overall appearance were comparable for fruit prouce either insie or outsie the high tunnel. At the termination of the trial, there were still some immature fruit on the plants both insie an outsie the high tunnel. With these fruit inclue in the total yiels, the high tunnel prouce a 68 yiel avantage over the stanar tunnel treatment. Table 3.Yiel characteristics for Staon s Select peppers grown insie the high tunnel vs stanar prouction practices in 1998, 1999 an 2000 High Tunnel Stanar LSD ** ** NS ** ** NS * ** ** Economic analysis As inicate by Table 4, the high tunnels generally prouce a higher gross return/unit row length than i the stanar prouction practices. However, the material costs for the high tunnels ($ 31.00/m of row (assuming 3 rows) or $36.50/m2)) far excee the cost of the stanar tunnels ($ 0.78/m of row or 0.39/m2 (assuming rows are 2 m apart)). As a consequence, the net returns over capital costs for the high tunnels were only marginally better than for the stanar tunnels (Table 5). Table 4.Gross returns for High Tunnel an Stanar system base on wholesale prices Price Z 1998 ($/m) 1999 ($/m) 2000 ($/m2) Peppers High Tunnel $1.08/kg y Stanar Melons High Tunnel $ 0.68/kg Stanar Tomato High Tunnel $0.81/kg Stanar Z Prices are wholesale prices FOB Saskatoon for the fall marketing perio. y Pepper prices are for re fruit

5 Table 5.Number of seasons before net after material cost returns for high tunnels excees stanar low tunnels Pepper 8.2 seasons 10.7 seasons? > 10 seasons Melon 8.0 seasons 4.4 seasons 7.0 seasons 6.5 seasons Tomato 5.8 seasons 3.3 seasons 4.9 seasons 4.6 seasons Conclusion Base on three years of stuy, the high tunnels o not provie substantial enough yiel avantage to offset their much higher purchase an operating costs, if growers are selling into the wholesale market. Options for making High Tunnels more economical: 1) Reuce capital costs - through lower cost materials an more efficient construction 2) Increase yiels / unit area - through use of better varieties, closer spacing of rows, staking an use of agronomic practices tailore for high intensity prouction. 3) Grow higher value crops - attach price premiums to prouce available either earlier or later than the competition. Direct sales result in substantially better returns than marketing through the wholesale system.