ISHS Acta Horticulturae 659: VII International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates: Production, Pest Management and Global Competition
SEASON EXTENSION FOR TOMATO PRODUCTION USING HIGH TUNNELS |
| Authors: | E. Reiss, A.J. Both, S. Garrison, W. Kline, J. Sudal |
| Keywords: | Construction, instrumentation, Lycopersicon esculentum, plastic mulch, roll-up sides |
| Abstract:
As part of a multi-year project funded by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, two high tunnels were constructed according to the Penn State high tunnel design with some minor modifications. These included an improved design of the end wall construction, automated roll-up side vents used for ventilation. During the spring and summer of 2003, a tomato crop was grown with the same treatments in both tunnels. The treatments included two commercial tomato varieties (Lycopersicon esculentum, cv. SunBright and SunShine), grown in: 1) a tunnel with either manual or automatic roll-up side vents, and 2) beds covered with colored mulches (bare, red, green, and black). The plants were irrigated with a drip irrigation system that was manually operated based on soil tensiometer readings. The tunnels were instrumented with dataloggers that recorded: 1) inside and outside temperature, relative humidity, and photosynthetically active radiation, and 2) inside and outside soil temperature. Results of this first trial indicated an average final accumulated production of 5.4 kg of marketable tomatoes per plant for a crop grown between May 5 and August 29 (approximately 7.9 kg per m2). Minimal difference in final accumulated production occurred between the manual and automatic roll-up side vents, two varieties, or differently colored plastic mulches. | |
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