Performance of Berries in Field and High Tunnel - HIS 2015

Performance of Berries in Field and High Tunnel

Production SystemCurt R. Rom

Luke Freeman, Jason McAfee, Heather Friedrich

Spencer Fiser, Julia Stover

Donn Johnson, Jennie Popp, Elena Garcia

Berry Problematic

• Berry production season is short: 4-6 weeks• Rain can reduce summer floricane cropping harvest

• High temperatures limit raspberry production in South

• High late summer temperatures limit flower formation and fruit set of primocane fruiting blackberry and raspberry cultivars

• Early fall freezes (20-Oct) limit fruiting of primocane cultivars

WHY High Tunnels?

Why Tunnels?Environmental Modification with

A. Temperature ModificationB. Precipitation and Moisture ModificationC. Light modificationD. Wind reduction

Thereby allowing the grower to1. Extend the growing season

• Advance the Spring Season• Extend the Autumn Season

2. Minimize impacts of weather (hail, wind, etc.)

3. Mitigate Pest Problems

The Opportunities and Benefits from Tunnels

• Reduced Risk of High Risk Crops• Never a “lost day” due to rain

• You will always have crop to sell

• Increase Value of Crops-Increased yields; size, total yield-Out-of-season production-Reduced costs

• Extended Season means Extended Cash-Flow for the farm• Potential Reduced use of Pesticides• Opportunity for Sustainable and Organically Produced• Possible better Economics

J an Feb Mar Apr May J un J ul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Growing Season

Harvest Seasons

Potential Total Berry Harvest Season

Tunnels may extend the summer harvest season from 4-6 weeks during summer to 16-20 weeks during the year

}Traditional Season

Early Tunnel Crop

Early Tunnel Crop

Opportunities

• With the combination of appropriate cultivar selection and use of high tunnels

• Extend the season an additional 8-10 weeks per year• Protect the crop from inclement weather• Produce fruit when there are limited fresh fruit available in the

market place. • Chance to capture high value early and late markets

A Place for Tunnels

Tunnels have a place in the production system

to compliment field production

Our ProjectsSustainable/Organic Berry Production in Tunnels

A. 2006-2010Blackberries and Raspberries1. Advancing Spring Production

Blackberries: Navajo, Ouachita, ArapahoRaspberries: Dormanred, Prelude, and Encore

2. Extending Fall ProductionBlackberries: Prime-Jan, Prime-Jim, APF46Raspberries: Dinkum, Caroline, Autumn Bliss

3. Double-Cropping Primocane Cultivars

B. 2012-2014 Studies1. Advancing Spring Production

• Blueberries: Earliblue• Blackberries: Natchez

2. Extending Fall Production• Primocane Raspberries: Nantahala, Josephine, Autumn Bliss• Primocane Blackberries; PrimeArk 45; APF#

Overall Project Goal

The overall project goals are1. To extend the berry production season from 4-6 weeks (June-

July) to 4-5 months (May – November) with double cropping primocane fruiting genotypes

2. To allow for production of Raspberries in hot climates3. To develop sustainable and organic production systems for

southern fruit4. To have products to capture high value markets

Hypotheses

• Extend the traditional summer seasons by advancing production of floricane berries in the spring with tunnels

• Establish a autumn harvest season and extend it with tunnels

• Growing fruit out-of-season reduces potential pests• Growing fruit out-of-season in tunnels may reduce incidence of disease

• Use tunnels to improve fruit quality and marketable yield

Research Objectives

Develop production systems in order to :

I. Advance spring floricane blackberry

production

(Study 1)

II. Extend autumn primocane harvest season

of blackberries and raspberries

(Study 2)

HT Environments

• HT reduce total PAR ~17-20%• In the spring season, HT increases Growing Degree Hour

(GDH) accumulation by about 50-60GDH• Advanced phenology approx. 2-3 wks• Frost Protection Required in HT:

• Spring averaged 4 nights frost protection

• In the autumn season, HT prevented frost and continued fall fruiting for 3 – 4 wks after field

• Field ended between 15-Oct and 25-Oct (past 3 years) by freezes• HT ended 28-Oct and 18-Nov by freezes

• Autumn averaged 2 night frost protection

• HT can “supercool” on some nights• Requires frost cloths for both advancing the season and protecting crop

Do Tunnels Advance Bloom?

TreatmentDate of Full Bloom

2013 2014 AVG Days Advance

Field 1-May 6-May 4-May 0High Tunnel 18-April 14-April 16-April 18 days

HT+ Tunnel in Tunnel 12-Apirl 8-April 10-April 24 days

CV: Natchez

Do Tunnels Continue Harvest?

Treatment2013 2014 AVG Days

ExtensionField 15-Nov 1-Nov 8-Nov 0

High Tunnel 15-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 5HT+ Tunnel in Tunnel 27-Nov 14-Nov 21-Nov 13

CV: PrimeArk 45

2012 Yield 2013 Yield 2014 Yield0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

19296 lbs/A

15529 lbs/A

10030 lbs/A

14777 lbs/A

19363 lbs/A

28334 lbs/A

FD HT

Yiel

d pe

r 10

ft p

lot (

gram

s)

Field vs Tunnel Yield

*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.*lbs/A calculated at 8 ft row spacing

Yield increase result of fall pruning management

Late frost

CV: Natchez

NOTE: Pollination Problem

Field High Tunnel0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

2012 2013 2014

Production System

Cum

ulati

ve Y

ield

(Lbs

/ a

cre)

39% Increase

NOTE: Pollination Problem

CV: Natchez

5/28 6/2 6/7 6/12 6/17 6/22 6/27 7/2 7/7 7/12 7/17 7/220

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

FD HT

Daily

Yie

ld (g

ram

s per

10

ft pl

ot)

Field vs Tunnel Daily Yield2014

*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.

CV: Natchez

Late frost

5/28 6/2 6/7 6/12 6/17 6/22 6/27 7/2 7/7 7/12 7/17 7/220

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

2014 Natchez Blackberry Cumulative Yield

FD HT

Date

Cum

ulati

ve Y

ield

(gra

ms)

Field vs Tunnel Cumulative Yield


Last HT harvest 7/11

Date of 50% of Harvest

CV: Natchez

Field vs Tunnel Yield PrimeArk 45

2012 2013 20140

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

5,100 lbs/A

7,089 lbs/A

4,670 lbs/A

15,000 lbs/A

12,308 lbs/A

7,446 lbs/A

FD HT

Yiel

d pe

r 10

ft Pl

ot (g

ram

s)


High HT temps due to insect screen

CV: PrimeArk45

Field High Tunnel0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

2012 2013 2014

Production System

Cum

ulati

ve Y

ield

(Lbs

/ a

cre)

206% Increase

CV: PrimeArk45

Field vs Tunnel Daily Yield


8/1 8/4 8/78/1

08/1

38/1

68/1

98/2

28/2

58/2

88/3

19/3 9/6 9/9

9/12

9/15

9/18

9/21

9/24

9/27

9/30

10/310/6

10/910/1

210/1

50.00

200.00

400.00

600.00

800.00

1000.00

FD HT

Dai

ly Y

ield

(gra

ms

per 1

0 ft

plo

t)

CV: PrimeArk45 2014



8/1 8/5 8/9 8/13 8/17 8/21 8/25 8/29 9/2 9/6 9/10 9/14 9/18 9/22 9/26 9/30 10/4 10/8 10/120

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

FD Tot HT Tot

Yiel

d (g

ram

s)

CV: PrimeArk45 2014

Field vs Tunnel Raspberry Yield

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

10,166 lbs/A

14,211 lbs/A

4,893 lbs/A

8,067 lbs/A

4,640 lbs/A 4,614 lbs/A

Autumn Bliss FD Autumn Bliss HT Josephine FD Josephine HT Nantahala FD Nantahala HT

Tota

l Yie

ld (g

ram

s per

10

ft pl

ot)


2013

Field vs Tunnel Raspberry Yield

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

Field Tunnel

Ave

rage

Yie

ld (l

bs/a

cre)

137% Increase

*lbs/A calculated at 8 ft row spacing

2013

Field vs Tunnel Daily Yield


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4148841492

4149541499

4150241506

4150941513

4151641520

4152341527

4153041534

4153741541

4154441548

4155141555

4155841562

4156541569

4157241576

4157941583

4158641590

4159341599

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Autumn Bliss FD Autumn Bliss HT

Dai

ly Y

ield

(gra

ms

per 1

0 ft

plo

t)

CV: Autumn Bliss 2013



4148141485

4148841492

4149541499

4150241506

4150941513

4151641520

4152341527

4153041534

4153741541

4154441548

4155141555

4155841562

4156541569

4157241576

4157941583

4158641590

4159341599

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

Autumn Bliss FD Autumn Bliss HT

Cum

ulati

ve Y

ield

(gra

ms

per 1

0 ft

plo

t)

CV: Autumn Bliss 2013

Conclusions

• Spring Tunnels advanced yield 2-3 weeks• Greatest benefit was with TNT• Need to manage pollination and frost control

• Spring Tunnels increased cumulative yield ~200%• Some problems pollination in TNT• TNT had significantly better frost protection

• Fall Tunnels extended yields 2-3 weeks• Fall Tunnels increased cumulative yields ~200%• Fall Tunnels increased raspberry yields ~135%

Other Observations

• Screening tunnels reduced SWD significantly (~95%)

• Screening increased tunnel temperatures• Screening increased severity of mite problems on raspberries

Questions?

Performance of Berries in Field and High Tunnel - HIS 2015

Science

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