High Tunnels For Vegetable Production- Updates for 2013

The NRCS EQIP Grant Program

• • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative 2013 – In 2012 NRCS approved 227 applications around KY.

– Have 1 year to implement the practice – Only paid when the tunnel is completed

Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative 2013 • • Three application deadlines – Early Winter (Jan) and Early Spring (March/April) • Rolling application deadline Cannot start purchasing until approved and paperwork signed

Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative 2013 • • The maximum size is 5% of 1 acre or 2178 ft 2 – Realistically this means a 30 x 72 (2160 ft 2 ) tunnel Do not pay for materials and supplies just installation of equipment BUT you can install yourself – $2.37/ft 2 so $5,162 for a 30 x 72 tunnel – $2.84/ft 2 for historically underserved ($6,286) –

Must be a kit from a manufacturer

Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative 2013 • • Can be fixed or movable, but have different payment schedule scenarios for each Supposed to have a 4 year life-span – 4 year plastic not structure – Within the 4 years you are responsible for repairs to tunnel – http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailf ull/national/programs/?&cid=stelprdb1046250 – Google “Eqip nrcs high tunnel”

Traditional Tunnels

Locating Tunnels

• • • • For maximum and most uniform sunlight interception locate tunnels in a N-S orientation if at 40 o N or further south If above 40 o N orient E-W If multiple bay tunnels then orient N-S In winter E-W orientation tends to capture more light as sun is low in the horizon, but in spring it is distributed poorly in E-W orientation Hightunnels.org

Locating Tunnels

• • • Wind is also an issue – High winds can destroy tunnels – UPLIFT is important – anchoring tunnels – Consider wind breaks Single bay high tunnels oriented perpendicular to prevailing if structure has roll-up sides * Multi-bay high tunnels should be oriented parallel to prevailing winds

Tunnels and uplift

• • • Proper anchoring of tunnels is essential – Tunnels are basically a giant wing An 80 mph wind blowing perpendicular to a 28’ x 100’ tunnel can create an uplift force of 22,000 pounds or 220 lbs per foot Estimated a 30 x 72 tunnel would then be 15,840 lbs of uplift

Anchoring tunnels

• Assuming a maximum of 16,000 lbs of uplift – Subtract tunnel weight (2846 lbs without baseboards, endwalls, etc) – We need to account for about 13,000 lbs of anchoring – 18 bows with 2 anchor points is 36 total contact points –

360 lbs per contact point of resistance or 720 lbs per bow

Anchoring tunnels

• • • Should you concrete bows in? – yes for many cases “Earth Anchors”- 30” anchor 4” helix rated at 1500 to 2500 lbs vertical pull out “Telephone pole anchors”- rated at 14,000 lbs uplift

Wind Damage to greenhouses- bows anchored in concrete 70-80 mph

Wind Damage January 2013 ~ 35 mph wind

Wind Damage January 2013

High Tunnel Structural Supports

Lack of additional support

• • • •

Plastic

4 mil is considered 1 year plastic 6 mil is considered 4 year plastic – If it gets too hot >120 for a long period of time that cuts life of the plastic Super Strong Woven Poly- 11mil – Can outlast hail even and can be walked on – Costs 30-50% more Shade cloth – Is it worth it? Wouldn’t go more than 40%.

Infrared films

• IR films have a coating that block long-wave radiation back into tunnel – Typically this long-wave radiation goes right through plastic unless a barrier is present – One side of the plastic is coated with a film that keeps long-wave radiation in • Often coated with a wetting agent to reduce condensation

Infrared films

• • Bill Roberts (Rutgers Univ.) found that IR films showed a heat savings of up to 35% on clear cold days – Realistically this will be 15-20% over the course of a season (assuming a tightly sealed tunnel) – Only use on the inside layer of plastic IR Cost 32’ x 100’ $304 vs. $256 for non IR

Tunnel temperatures

• • Air-gap between twin walled (2 layer plastic) reduces energy loss by 35-40% Energy loss due to condensation will be less on a 2 layer tunnel

High Tunnel Temp.

• • • When there is a lot of condensation present, which may evaporate, temperatures in the early morning may be several degrees cooler ambient outdoor temps

Latent heat of vaporization OVER IRRIGATING

www.ocw.usu.edu

Fog/Condensation in a tunnel

End walls

• Double layer polycarbonate has about the same R value as double layer plastic – Single layer plastic has a very poor R value

End Walls

High Tunnel Venting

• • • Should have reasonable side walls for venting Ridge vents are not a great option – Some complete ridge vents are good, but expensive Taller tunnels tend to keep heat up away from plants – HAF-Horizontal air flow fans

HAF Fans

HAF Fans

• Help bring hot air down to plant level

Note this piece of plastic

No Crop 100% 3 feet tall tomato 100% 100% 85% 71% 73% 81% 45% 6 foot tall tomato 48% Wind coefficients higher is more air flow

Tomatoes

Indeterminate or Determinate

• The most critical decision – Spacing will impact everything • Disease, yield, working conditions, etc.

– Indeterminate – 4 square feet per plant for trellised plants in a greenhouse* • Based on lack of air movement and disease risk in tunnels move to 5.2 - 6 square feet per plant • 4 foot centers and 15-18 inch spacing – Determinate –6.75 square feet per plant • 4.5 ft centers with 18” in-row spacing • This will give you 6-7 rows in a 30’ wide tunnel

5.5-6.0 feet

4.5 ft

Note- Indeterminate plants pruned to a central leader with leaves removed facilitates closer spacing

Determinate tomatoes on 5’ centers

Pruning, training, etc.

• • Typically prune determinate plants as you would in the field – If you prune them to a central leader you will ruin your yields Indeterminate plants prune

Keep leaves/vines off the ground

Cluster Pruning

• • Cluster pruning – Leave 4 fruit per cluster early and then move to 5 fruit.

– Prune off when pea size – Typically do not want more than 18-20 fruit on a plant Truss hooks on tomatoes

Leaf Pruning

• • • • Keep 18-21 leaves on a plant Remove leaves up to cluster being harvested Remove any senescing leaves If too aggressive can rob fruit of essential nutrients – Depends on aggressiveness of variety too

‘Cobra’

Varieties

• Indeterminate – – Big Beef Trust (hydro) – Geronimo (hydro) – Heirlooms benefit from the tunnel, but results variable • Determinate – – Rocky Top Empire – BHN 589 (fall) – Primo Red – Red Deuce

Parthenocarpic Tomatoes

• • Have done well in Mississippi Do not need pollinators – Varieties (Territorial Seed) • Legend • • • Santiam Siletz Oregon Spring

Insect Management with High Tunnel Tomatoes

High-Tunnel Insect Pests

Pests with Short-life cycles Fosters the rapid development of resistance to some pesticides Rapid recovery from sprays Need to manage pests/pesticides For safety For resistance management Opportunity for biological control Controlled environment Some of our best examples come from enclosed areas

Limited insecticides/miticides

• • • • • • • • • •

Without GH restriction

Sevin Malathion Orthene Mustang max Pounce Baythroid Asana XL Proaxis Danitol Warrior • • • • • • • • •

Without GH restriction

Admire Belay Venom AgriMek Distance/Knack Fulfill Dipel Courier Acramite

Limited insecticides/miticides

• • • • • • • • •

With GH prohibition

Diazinon Endosulfan Assail Platinum/Actara Radiant Proclaim Beleaf Rimon Intrepid • • • • • •

With GH prohibition

Avaunt Oberon Movento Coragen Portal Belt/Synapse

2012 Tomato Russet Mite

2012 Tomato Russet Mite

Tomato Russet Mite

• • • • Mistaken for other problems Start at bottom of plant and work upward Leaves dried out- ‘burned up’ Mite move quickly to green leaves – develops fast 1/2013 Jessamine Co.

Tomato Russet Mite

• • • Life cycle of 5 to 6 days Feed on Solanaceous plants/weeds Can be moved by people or equipment • • Scout for damage and confirm with 20x lens Treat with Agri-Mek or insecticidal soap (low populations)

2012 Broad Mite

2012 Broad Mites (aka Tropical Mite)

Eggs Agri-Mek 0.15 EC for broad and

Broad mites: wide host range found in and around the buds

tomato russet mites when they first appear

complete life cycle in a week inject toxic saliva as they feed

Insecticidal soap

hardened, twisted growth, leaves curl downward peppers most susceptible

Spider Mites

• • • • • Two spotted spider mite Stippling of leaves and gold flecking of fruit Produce fine webbing Favored by hot dry conditions Tomatoes, beans, melons, cucumbers Casey Co - 2012

Spider Mites

• • • • • Complete life cycle in 8+ days Females lay 100+ eggs Under leaves, around buds Prefer tender leaves Scouting: – Look for stippling – Look for webbing

•

Spider Mites

Management – Control weeds in/outside of GH/HT – Monitor weekly with hands lens or tap leaves over white paper – Use horticultural oils or insecticidal soap for light populations – Use Agri-Mek or Acramite for ↑ numbers

Whiteflies

• Two types, greenhouse and silverleaf

• • • • •

Whiteflies

Undersides of leaves Complete life cycle in less than a month Produce honeydew, stunt plants Can transmit Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Silverleaf can cause plant distortions

Whitefly Management

• • Monitor weekly – tap plants Check undersides of leaves with hand lens • Use biocontrol – Encarsia formosa (GHWF)or Eretmocerus eremicus (SLWF) wasps

Whiteflies

• Insecticides (IGRs) for nymphs: Knack Courier • Insecticides for adults and nymphs Admire (foliar or systemic) Portal Venom (foliar or systemic)

Thrips in the High Tunnel

• • Direct damage to tomato fruit – ‘gold fleck’ Vectors of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

Thrips Life Cycle

Two protected stages eggs pupa

Thrips in the High Tunnel

• Pierce plant cells • Mainly females – 150 to 300 eggs each – eggs inserted into leaves • Resting stage in media • Life cycle complete in 7 to 14 days

Thrips and Virus

• • Vectors of TSWV – Acquire when immature and transmit primarily as adults – Transmit for life – Acquire from infects crop plants or weeds Monitoring – Yellow or blue sticky cards – Tapping buds/flowers over white paper – Avoid bright colored clothing

Thrips Management

• • Limited insecticides to control thrips for the high tunnel – Baythroid (foliar) – Brigade (foliar) – Agri-Mek (foliar) – Venom Second treatment?