Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audiences are commercial farmers, home gardeners, extension educators and researchers. Efforts to reach these audiences will include educational workshops, field days and on-farm twilight meetings, undergraduate teaching, and educational inservices. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate student A. Harris presented her research at several different field days held at the NH Agricultural Research Station. One undergraduate student (L. Ford) has worked on this project as a research assistant, collecting data, analyzing data, and helping design experiments. Two graduate students (A. Harris, M. Cogswell) have worked on this project as research assistants, taking on leadership roles in different portions of the project. Season extension & specialty crop research at UNH was presented at a workshop for Cooperative Extension Field Staffin July 2019(15 participants). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Season extension & specialty crop research at UNH. August 2019. Durham Farm Day. Durham, NH.(45citizens) Season extension and specialty crop research at UNH. August 2018. Tour for STEM Connect Students. Durham, NH. (18 undergraduates) Winter production research at UNH. July 2019. Frozen Ground III Conference. Fairlee, VT. (35 growers) Season extension & specialty crop research at UNH. May 2019. Tour for master gardeners. Durham, NH. (25master gardeners) Facilitated vineyard-to-vineyard discussion about cold-climate grapes & winemaking. Sideman, B. and G. Hamilton. NH Winery Association Annual Educational Workshop. Jan 2019. Lee, NH. (20 farmers) Low tunnels for strawberry production: structures, management & outcomes. Orde, KM and B Sideman. Mid-Atlantic Vegetable & Fruit Growers' Convention. Jan 2019. Hershey, PA. (90 farmers) Day-neutral variety performance in NH and PA under open field and protected culture conditions. Orde, KM, K Demchak and B Sideman. Mid-Atlantic Vegetable & Fruit Growers' Convention. Jan 2019. Hershey, PA. (110 farmers) Good bugs, bad bugs: Using insectary strips to promote Biocontrol on farms. Aug 2019. Scooter's Farm of Woodmont, Hollis, NH. E. Venturini, M. Birchler, M. Madden, A. Harris. (20 attendees) USDA-NRCS and Xerces Society staff training focused on insectary plantings. Jul 2019. A. Harris, Woodman Horticultural Farm, UNH Durham, Tuckaway Farm, Lee, NH, and Mildred's Drumlin Farm, Lee, NH. (15 attendees) Using insectary plants to promote biological control of pests on Brussels sprouts. A. Harris. 4HFarm Day Tour. Aug 2019. Woodman Horticultural Farm, UNH, Durham. (15 attendees) Using insectary plants to promote biological control of pests on Brussels sprouts and implications for high tunnel use. A. Harris. Rimol Greenhouses Systems staff. Sept 2019. Woodman Horticultural Farm, UNH, Durham. (3 attendees) High tunnel tomato nutrient management: lessons learned. Sideman, B., B. Hoskins, M. Hutton, H. Bryant, and E. Sideman. January 2019. Connecticut Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers' Conference. S. Windsor, CT. (250 farmers) What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The following five (5) specific objectives address our two overarching goals of 1) evaluating horticultural characteristics and adaptation of vegetable and fruit varieties and 2) evaluating or developing new management techniques to extend the growing season, increase profitability, reduce environmental impact or improve efficiency of vegetable and fruit cropping systems. Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. With partial support from a NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food specialty crop block grant, we established in May 2015 a research table grape vineyard, assessed vine vigor and incidence of diseases and insect pests, and collected yield data for three seasons. We have observed significant differences among varieties and training systems in incidence of diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and anthracnose, as well as in fruit quality and yields. We have provided growers with preliminary research reports and haveshared research results in field days and at grower workshops. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We demonstrated that fall planting for late spring harvest of bulbed onions using low tunnels is possible throughout NH. Over a period of two years, we evaluated a wide array of onion germplasm to determine survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We found that cultivars differed in susceptibility to bolting, but that this trait was not associated with whether the cultivar is typically grown under short- or long-day environments. We also found that onions grown in high tunnels matured earlier than those grown in low tunnels, but that the two-week difference may not be a sufficient advantage to outweigh the cost of occupying the tunnel for nearly six months. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high-value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input). Throughout the course of this project and its' predecessors, we have characterized varieties of several high-value specialty crops in terms of yield, quality, and disease susceptibility. We have also compared different production strategies (planting and harvest dates, winter protection strategies, and pruning systems) that can help growers maximize productivity for a given crop and situation. For example, we demonstrated that earlier planting of winter spinach in high tunnels results in higher yields throughout the entire winter and spring harvest season, allowing growers to more accurately weigh the costs and benefits of removing summer crops to plant winter crops earlier. We also demonstrated that harvesting baby ginger earlier in the fall results in dramatic loss of yield;growers should wait to harvest if they can do so. We identified novel production systems for scallions and onions that permit very early spring harvest, creating new marketing opportunities. We identified varieties that work very well in these new production systems, as well as those that do not. Throughout, we have shared our work with growers in formal workshop presentations, extension research reports and newsletters, research field days, and one-on-one communication. An example of long-term impact stemming from work conducted under an earlier version of this project follows: Prior to 2005, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) was considered a tropical crop that could not be grown in the Northeastern U.S.; preliminary research investigating sweet potato production in New England had inconsistent results. Between 2006 and 2012, supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station and the NH Vegetable & Berry Growers' Association, we conducted extensive research on sweet potato production in New Hampshire and participated in the National Sweetpotato Collaborators' Group, which provided access to new varieties and knowledge from major sweet potato production regions. Using research results, we developed guidelines and recommendations for variety selection, production strategies and postharvest curing and storage practices for New England. We conducted a concerted extension/outreach campaign that included written publications for commercial growers and presentations at grower conferences throughout the Northeastern U.S, in addition to peer-reviewed scientific publications. On an annual basis, we have also provided feedback and advice to many growersfrom throughout New England to help refine theirproduction, harvest, and storage practices. The recently published 2017 Agricultural Census reported that 110 acres of sweet potatoes were grown on nearly 200 farms in New England (compared with 33 acres in 2012, only 4 acres in 2007, and 0 acres in 2002). Assuming a very conservative price per pound of $1, and a conservative yield of 10 tons/acre, the annual economic value of this crop would be approximately $2.2 million. We know that yields far in excess of 10 tons/acre are possible, and that many producers obtain very high direct-market prices excessing $3/lb, further increasing potential impacts. Prior to our work done at UNH, this market did not exist, and our integrated research and extension work enabled its' development, expanding the availability of high quality locally grown product for consumers and a new high-value crop for producers. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels to improve different aspects of production for two crops: overwintered onions and day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. Low tunnels are inexpensive plastic-covered structures that have been shown to increase the harvest season and increase fruit quality for strawberry (and other crops) in some parts of the world. Our objective was to determine whether different covering materials will affect yields, production season, and insect pest pressure in day-neutral strawberry. This work was done in collaboration with researchers at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Minnesota as part of the USDA-AFRI SCRI project entitled 'Optimizing protected culture environments for berry crops'. In both NH and in Pennsylvania, we accomplished the following: Characterized the effects of low tunnels covered with standard polyethylene, polyethylene with reduced infrared radiation, and two experimental coverings on soil and air temperature and light levels during spring, summer, and fall. Characterized the effects of the low tunnel coverings described above in a factorial experiment using both black and white polyethylene mulches, on strawberry growth, fruit production, and insect pest pressure, using day-neutral strawberry cv. Albion. Developed several practical tools to provide relevant information to growers seeking to extend their growing season using this low-cost method. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production. In this multi-year experiment, we found that 1) even extremely high levels of applied K were depleted quickly from high tunnel soils, 2) in general, soil K levels were positively correlated with marketable fruit weight, and negatively correlated with incidence and severity of yellow shoulder (YS) and percentage of cull fruit. Thus, increased soil testing and an improved understanding of how to better manage soil K can increase fruit quality and yields. We have communicated the results of this work in a variety of ways, including presentations at grower conferences, presentations at scientific conferences, and making adjustments to our New England soil testing recommendations to reduce the likelihood of K deficiencies in high tunnel soils.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Orde, KM and RG Sideman. 2019. Low tunnel and cultivar effects on day-neutral strawberry yield and characteristics in New Hampshire. HortTechnology in press.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Harris, A. MS Agricultural Sciences. 2019. Integrated organic management of cabbage aphid on Brussels sprout.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Sideman, RG, B Hoskins, M Hutton, H Bryant and E Sideman. 2019. Optimizing potassium application in organically-grown high tunnel tomato in the northeastern United States. Greensys International Symposium on Advanced Technologies and Management for Innovative Greenhouses. Angers, France. June, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Orde, K and RG Sideman. 2019. Influence of photoselective film and mulch color on air and soil temperatures in a low tunnel strawberry production system. Greensys International Symposium on Advanced Technologies and Management for Innovative Greenhouses. Angers, France. June, 2019.
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Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences are commercial farmers, home gardeners, extension educators, and researchers. Efforts to reach these audiences included presentations at educational workshops, conferences, field days and on-farm twilight meetings, undergraduate teaching, and educational inservices, as well as interviews with the press. During the reporting period, we had direct contact with 743 farmers and gardeners, 85 scientists, and 18 undergraduates, in addition to indirect contacts through popular press articles and press releases. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate student K. Orde attended the national meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science in Washington, DC in August 2018. Undergraduate student T. Levy and graduate students K. Orde and A. Harris presented their research at the New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference in Manchester NH in December 2017. Graduate student K. Orde presented her research at the NJ Vegetable Growers' Convention and the Empire State Expo in Atlantic City, NJ and Syracuse, NY in February 2018. Five undergraduate students (J. Pondolfino, T. Levy, S. Beck, L. Ford, and H. Paradis-Collins) have worked on this project as research assistants, collecting data, analyzing data, and helping design experiments. Three graduate students (K. Orde, A. Harris, M. Cogswell) have worked on this project as research assistants, taking on leadership roles in different portions of the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Seedless table grapes and fall strawberries. 'Under the vines' field day. September 2018. Durham, NH. (40 growers) Season extension and specialty crop research at UNH. August 2018. Tour for STEM Connect Students. Durham, NH. (18 undergraduates) Season extension and specialty crop research at UNH. August 2018. Durham Farm Day. Durham, NH. (45 gardeners and growers) Season extension and specialty crop research at UNH. May 2018. Tour for master gardeners. Durham, NH. (18 master gardeners) Gardening with the challenges (and opportunities?) presented by a changing climate. March 2018. Portsmouth Garden Club, Portsmouth, NH. (35 gardeners) Research highlights: Specialty crops and season extension for NH. NH Vegetable & Berry Growers' Association Annual Meeting. Feb 2018. Manchester NH. (75 growers) Extending Strawberry Season using Day-Neutral Varieties and Low Tunnels. Orde, K. NJ Vegetable Growers Association Annual Meeting. Feb 2018. Atlantic City, NJ. (40 growers) Extending Strawberry Season using Day-Neutral Varieties and Low Tunnels. Orde, K. and B. Sideman. Feb 2018. NH Agricultural Experiment Station Research Profile, NH Farm & Forest Expo. Manchester, NH. (15 scientists) High tunnel tomato nutrient management: lessons learned. Sideman, B., B. Hoskins, M. Hutton, H. Bryant and E. Sideman. Mid-Atlantic Vegetable & Fruit Growers' Convention. Jan 2018. Hershey, PA. (85 growers) Increasing success with Brussels sprouts: varieties, topping and insect management. Sideman, B., T. Levy and A. Harris. Mid-Atlantic Vegetable & Fruit Growers' Convention. Jan 2018. Hershey, PA. (75 growers) Overwintering onions. Mid-Atlantic Vegetable & Fruit Growers' Convention. Jan 2018. Hershey, PA. (50 growers) Starting your own vegetable seedlings. Workshop for ORIS (Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success). Jan 2018. Manchester, NH. (10 growers) Selecting varieties for high tunnel production. Dec 2017. New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, Manchester NH. https://unh.app.box.com/s/5boumr8smr1u9qsk9znmm62us6sqhvib (150 growers) Specialty crops and season extension at UNH. Dec 2017. New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, Manchester NH. https://unh.app.box.com/s/ju9kwnsa41oqq59hl6qs7pig22rc3xme (120 growers) Thinking outside the growing season: expanding opportunities for local specialty crop production in Northern New England. Dec 2017. Department of Agriculture, Nutrition & Food Systems Seminar Series, Durham NH. (30 scientists and students) What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our activities during the next reporting period are described below, under each specific objective: Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. In the coming year, we will collect data on yields and maintenance time required for each training system. We will continue to update our preliminary research reports and enterprise budgets, and continue outreach efforts. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We will continue to share results with producers, but no further work is ongoing with this objective. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high-value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input). In the coming year, our plans are as follows: Overwintering scallions (initiated in 2016). We plan to update our previous grower research report to share preliminary results that were obtained in 2018. Biological control of cabbage aphid (initiated in 2016). We will analyze data from 2018 experiments to compare three possible organic pesticide regimes and to further study the effects of insectary plantings on the occurrence of natural predators of cabbage aphid. We will prepare and publish one graduate student thesis and at least one extension research report. High tunnel peppers. We expect to publish a peer-reviewed manuscript describing the results of this experiment. High tunnel eggplants. We plan to conduct the second year of a new high tunnel eggplant variety trial. We will prepare a grower research report to share preliminary results that were obtained in 2018. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels for day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. We expect to publish two peer-reviewed manuscripts describing this work, to present this work at a scientific conference. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production In the coming year, we will focus efforts on data analysis, interpretation, and communication of results from previous experiments. We plan to share this work with grower audiences and at a scientific conference.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The focus of this integrated research and extension effort is in the area of high-value specialty crop production systems and methods of extending the growing season (e.g. season extension). Our accomplishments during the reporting period are broken down by objective, below. Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. In 2015, we established a research vineyard containing eight table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems: vertical-shoot positioning (VSP), top-wire cordon (TWC) and modified Munson (MM). Variety and training system treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. During the past three years, we constructed the trellis, established the training system, and assessed vine vigor and incidence of diseases and insect pests, and collected preliminary yield data. Inthe past year, the first yield data were collected for all training systems for all varieties. We observed significant differences among varieties in theincidence of diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and anthracnose. We also found that the VSP training system reached harvest maturity at least one year earlier than the other systems, thus increasing early yield potential. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We demonstrated that fall planting for late spring harvest of bulbed onions using low tunnels is possible throughout NH. Over a period of two years, we evaluated a wide array of onion germplasm to determine survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We found that cultivars differed in susceptibility to bolting, but that this trait was not associated with whether the cultivar is typically grown under short- or long-day environments. We also found that onions grown in high tunnels matured earlier than those grown in low tunnels, but that the two-week difference may not be a sufficient advantage to outweigh the cost of occupying the tunnel for nearly six months. Information is now being provided to growers in the form of research reports; e.g.https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource005477_Rep7652.pdf. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high-value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input). Winter spinach production in unheated high tunnels.During the reporting period, we published a peer-reviewed manuscript describing these results (Orde et al., 2018) Baby ginger (initiated in 2017).Rhizomes from ginger plants grown for just a single growing season are called "baby ginger" and are pink, tender, non-fibrous, and perishable. We conducted a preliminary experiment in 2017 to determine whether early-season heating increases end-of-season yields, whether low tunnels could be used instead of high tunnels, and whether yields or quality of ginger is reduced by early harvest. In 2018, this information was provided to growers:https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource007161_Rep10344.pdf High tunnel bell peppers (initiated in 2015).We completed the third year of a replicated high tunnel bell pepper variety trial. Data including cumulative yields, quality, and plant vigor were collected. A manuscript describing these results is in preparation. Overwintering scallions (initiated in 2016).In two years (2017, 2018), we conducted experiments with the goal of comparing the overwinter survival of several scallion varieties planted at three different fall planting dates. We found that varieties differed in overwinter survival and spring vigor, as well as bolting resistance. Information has been provided to growers in the form of research reports; e.g.https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource006811_Rep9838.pdf. Eggplants. Several new eggplant varieties are now available and recommended for high tunnel production because they are parthenocarpic (and thus do not require pollination). We evaluated a selection of these, in comparison with typical field varieties in 2018. This provided preliminary data for work proposed for the current project. Day-neutral strawberry. To complement our low tunnel strawberry production research (see below), we established a variety trial using eight (8) day-neutral strawberry cultivars in both low tunnel and open field conditions using a split-plot design (growing system = main plot, cultivar = subplot). This experiment was conducted first in 2017 and was repeated in 2018. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels to improve different aspects of production for two crops: overwintered onions and day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. Low tunnels are inexpensive plastic-covered structures that have been shown to increase the harvest season and increase fruit quality for strawberry (and other crops) in some parts of the world. Our objective was to determine whether different covering materials will affect yields, production season, and insect pest pressure in day-neutral strawberry. This work was done in collaboration with researchers at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Minnesota as part of the USDA-AFRI SCRI project entitled 'Optimizing protected culture environments for berry crops'. Over the last year, we: Characterized the effects of low tunnels covered with standard polyethylene, polyethylene with reduced infrared radiation, and two experimental coverings on soil and air temperature and light levels during spring, summer and fall.An abstract has been submitted to present this work at an ISHS conference in June 2019. Characterized the effects of the low tunnel coverings described above in a factorial experiment using both black and white polyethylene mulches, on strawberry growth, fruit production, and insect pest pressure, using day-neutral strawberry cv. Albion.A manuscript describing these results is in preparation. Developed enterprise budgets and fact sheets, in addition to peer-reviewed manuscripts, in order to provide relevant information to local growers seeking to extend their growing season using this low-cost method.A detailed extension bulletin, entitled "Low tunnel strawberry production guide" was published in May 2018. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production. During the reporting year, we expanded this project beyond our initial objectives and added a fourth year of experiments to test hypotheses relating to potassium (K) application method and availability. Our last sets of samples from these experiments are currently in the pipeline in the analytical laboratory. We have also focused on data analysis, interpretation, and communication of results from previous experiments. Based on preliminary data analyses, we found that 1) even extremely high levels of applied K were depleted quickly from high tunnel soils, 2) in general, soil K levels were positively correlated with marketable fruit weight, and negatively correlated with incidence and severity of yellow shoulder (YS) and percentage of cull fruit. However, factors aside from K level appeared to be more important in the promotion of YS, as even very high K levels did not reduce YS to acceptable levels. In 2018, we are concluding the final year of this study and will prepare a manuscript describing results this year. An abstract has been submitted to present this work at an ISHS conference in June 2019.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Orde, K, C Eaton, and RG Sideman. 2018. Yield and soluble solids content of winter-grown spinach in unheated high tunnels in New England. HortScience 53:638-645.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Orde, K. MS Thesis. Biological Sciences: Agricultural Science, 2018. Using day-neutral cultivars and low tunnels to extend the strawberry season in the Northeastern United States.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Sideman, RG. 2018. High tunnels in the Northeastern U.S. Invited oral presentation. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington DC, 31 July-3 August 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Orde,K., B.Sideman, M.Pritts, and K.Demchak. 2018. Low TunnelStrawberry Production Guide.University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Publication. https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource007429_Rep10703.pdf
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences are commercial farmers, home gardeners, extension educators, and researchers. Efforts to reach these audiences included presentations at educational workshops, conferences, field days and on-farm twilight meetings, undergraduate teaching, and educational inservices, as well as interviews with the press. Changes/Problems:Winter sprouting broccoli (initiated in 2016). This experiment did not produce useful data, because of extensive vole damage. However, we were able to obtain sufficient observational data of new cultivars to make the decision to not continue with this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduate student K. Orde attended the national meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science in Honolulu, HI in September 2017. Undergraduate student T. Levy and graduate student K. Orde presented their research at the New England Vegetable and Berry Growers' Association Meeting in Hadley, MA in January 2017. Graduate student K. Orde presented her research at the NH Vegetable & Berry Growers' Association Meeting in Manchester NH in February 2017. Four undergraduate students have worked on this project as research assistants, collecting data, analyzing data, and helping design experiments. Three graduate students have worked on this project as research assistants, taking on leadership roles in different portions of the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In the current reporting period, we made the following specific presentations and participated in the following interviews that relate to the current and prior project results: Sideman, B. Sept 22, 2016. High tunnel production systems and habitat plants for biocontrol. Tour and presentation to Master Gardeners, Woodman Farm, Durham NH. (25 master gardeners) Sideman, B. November 2016. Using Low Tunnels for Overwintering Crops. High Tunnel Production Conference, Vernon, CT. (80 growers) Sideman, B. and M. Hutton. December 2017. The finer points of high tunnel tomato production. Expand Your Tunnel Vision: High Tunnel Production Conference. Manchester, NH. (105 Growers, 7 Agricultural Service Providers) Orde, K. 4 Jan 2017. Low Tunnels for Strawberry Production. New England Vegetable and Berry Growers' Association and New England Cooperative Extension's 593rd Meeting, Hadley, MA. January.(80 growers, 10 agricultural service providers). Levy, T. 4 Jan 2017. Strategies for organic management of cabbage aphid in Brussels sprout. New England Vegetable and Berry Growers' Association and New England Cooperative Extension's 593rd Meeting, Hadley, MA. January.(80 growers, 10 agricultural service providers). Sideman, B. January 2017. Choosing Varieties for High Tunnels. CT Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers' Conference, South Windsor, CT. (273 growers) Sideman, B. & K. Orde. January 2017. Growing Vegetables & Berries in the Home Garden: Best Varieties, New Practices. Joint Winter Meeting, NH Landscapers Association, NH Plant Growers' Association & UNH Extension, Concord, NH. (30 growers) Sideman, B., E. Hodgdon, N. Warren, and R. Smith. January 2017. Forage Radish as a Cover Crop. VT Cover Crop Conference, Fairlee, VT. (85 growers) Sideman, B.. March 2017. Using High Tunnels in Winter, and Some New Specialty Crops to Consider. Workshop for ORIS (Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success), Manchester, NH. (20 growers) Orde, K. and B. Sideman 18 Feb 2017. Using low tunnels for strawberry season extension and overwintering crops. New Hampshire Vegetable and Berry Growers Association Meeting. Manchester, NH.(75 growers, 10 agricultural service providers). Sideman, B. 25 Apr 2017. Season extension and specialty crop research at UNH. Tour for master gardeners. (25 master gardeners). Sideman, B. June 2017. High tunnel tomato research update, Woodman Farm Twilight Meeting, Durham, NH (10 researchers, 6 students) Sideman, B., M. Hutton, E. Sideman, M. Skinner, C. Sullivan, B. Hoskins, and H. Bryant. July 2017. Greenhouse/Tomato Round Table - Pest Management. Edgewater Farm, Plainfield, NH. (32 growers) Sideman, B., B. Hoskins, H. Bryant, E. Sideman, and M. Hutton. August 2017. Tunnel Tomato Roundtable, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion ME. (18 growers, 14 agricultural service providers, and 4 students). Orde, K. 19 Aug 2017. Durham Farm Day. Provided tours of Woodman Research Farm to the public, and discussed research efforts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du9vjJbOV8Q Sideman, B. and K. Orde. 13 Sept. 2017 UNH Cooperative Extension Seedless Table Grapes & Fall Strawberries Field Meeting (8 growers, 4 agricultural service providers) Sideman, B. 14 Sept. 2017. Season extension and specialty crop research at UNH. Tour for master gardeners and SAFS 405 students. (25 master gardeners, 10 undergraduate students). Orde, K.M., R. Sideman, K. Demchak, R. Marini, and M. Cooper. Sept 2017. Effects of Low Tunnels on Day-Neutral Strawberry Production in the Northeastern U.S. HortScience 52(9):S267. (Abstr.)Oral Presentation to the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Honolulu HI (75 researchers). Interviews: November 23, 2016. Interview with Lauren Alexander, American Vegetable Grower. Bell pepper production in high tunnels. March 16, 2017. Interview with Emily Corwin, NHPR. Is climate change affecting when NH gardeners should plant their seedlings? July 15, 2017. Researchers looking to develop longer strawberry season. Interview with Lori Wright. This press release was picked up and ran in many national and international outlets including the NY Times, the Daily Mail, Washington Times, Miami Herald, ABC News, and many more. K. Orde and B. Sideman fielded several additional interviews with many of these outlets. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our activities during the next reporting period are described below, under each specific objective: Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. In the coming year, we will implement all three training system treatments, including the two top-wire systems, which have not yet reached mature production. This will be the first year in which we will be able to collect data on yields and maintenance time required for each training system. We will continue to update our preliminary research reports and enterprise budgets, and continue outreach efforts. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. In the coming year, we will complete data analysis and produce final extension publications, and share results with producers. Going forward, we are particularly interested in evaluation the feasibility of protection methods that are lower cost and easier to implement than low tunnels, such as direct cover with heavy rowcover fabrics, as we tested in a pilot experiment with scallions in 2016. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high-value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input). In the coming year, our plans are as follows: Winter spinach production in unheated high tunnels. We expect to publish our peer-reviewed manuscript describing this work. Overwintering scallions (initiated in 2016). We will complete a replicated experiment comparing promising varieties' performance in different types of protected environments (no protection, rowcover, low tunnel, high tunnel). Biological control of cabbage aphid (initiated in 2016). We will analyze data from 2017 experiments this winter, and will design experiments to either repeat or refine those experiments in 2018, depending on results. We expect to compare three possible organic pesticide regimes and to further study the effects of insectary plantings on occurrence of natural predators of cabbage aphid. Baby ginger (initiated in 2017). We expect to publish a preliminary research report for growers. High tunnel peppers. We expect to publish a peer-reviewed manuscript describing the results of this experiment. High tunnel eggplants. We plan to initiate a new high tunnel eggplant variety trial. A comprehensive survey of high tunnel producers that we conducted in 2016 indicated that a surprisingly high number of producers were growing eggplant in tunnels. While some cultivars are marketed as being suitable for high tunnel production, there are no comprehensive studies available to guide selection of eggplant cultivars. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels to improve different aspects of production for two crops: overwintered onions and day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. In the coming year, our primary focus will be on 1) data analysis and interpretation, and 2) evaluation of economic feasibility of low tunnels for strawberry production. Guided by our results from these experiments, we will focus on a single mulch-cover combination to compare with a no-tunnel treatment in slightly larger low tunnels, closer to commercial scale. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production. In the coming year, we will focus efforts on data analysis, interpretation, and communication of results from previous experiments. We also plan to explore some of the hypotheses generated during the past two years and will conduct an experiment to evaluate mid- and late-season plant and soil potassium and nitrogen status in response to different application strategies. The experiment will be implemented in three different research sites in a coordinated effort.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Many of the high-value crops grown in New England are grown using production systems that are different from the methods used in warmer climates and major crop production regions. Use of the most effective growing practices for our region (including new varieties, new crops, and season extension strategies) can increase farm profitability through diversification, improved yields, and improved crop quality. Therefore, the focus of this integrated research and extension effort is in the area of high-value specialty crop production systems and methods of extending the growing season (e.g. season extension). Our accomplishments during the reporting period are broken down by objective, below. Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. In our research vineyard, we replaced vines that died in their first two years of growth, collected disease susceptibility data, and created apreliminary research report(https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource006259_Rep8964.pdf)that describes our results for growers. In 2017, we harvested the first crop from the portion of our research vineyard trained to the Vertical Shoot Positioning system; and thus, generated preliminary yield data. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We completed the 3rd year of this study, finishing data collection in summer 2017. We demonstrated varying susceptibility to bolting in different cultivars, and compared bulb yield and maturity date for different cultivars at four different planting dates. Preliminary data have been shared with producers, and we are in the process of data analysis and preparation of final extension publications. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high-value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input). Winter spinach production in unheated high tunnels. Our third season of fieldwork for this objective was completed in spring 2016, and we published our results in a research report for growers(https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource006103_Rep8625.pdf)This year, we prepared a scientific manuscript that describes these results, and this manuscript is currently in review. Overwintering scallions (initiated in 2016). We completed a preliminary pilot study that investigated overwinter survival of scallions in with low-cost rowcover protection, and produced a research report for growers(https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource006811_Rep9838.pdf) see changes/problems Biological control of cabbage aphid (initiated in 2016). During the past year, we analyzed data on pest and beneficial insect presence in plots with two different types of treatment: organic insecticides, and insectary plantings designed to promote biological control of cabbage aphid. We found that organic insecticides provided good control of this pest, but that insectary plantings did not. Preliminary data were used to design a more comprehensive study, and a graduate student was recruited to work on this project. Two complementary experiments were conducted to compare three possible organic pesticide regimes and to further study the effects of insectary plantings on occurrence of natural predators of cabbage aphid. Baby ginger (initiated in 2017). After a pilot experiment in 2016, we conducted a small replicated study in two production environments (low tunnel and high tunnel) to measure yield penalties for early harvest of baby ginger, a high-value specialty crop now being grown in high tunnels throughout our region. We learned that early harvesting did result in significant yield penalties, and we observed generally poor growth and yields in low tunnels as compared with high tunnels. A research report for growers is currently in preparation. High tunnel bell peppers (initiated in 2015). We completed the third year of a replicated high tunnel bell pepper variety trial. Data analysis and interpretation are ongoing. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels to improve different aspects of production for two crops: overwintered onions and day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. See objective two for the description of overwintering onion results. This year, we completed our second year of experiments on fall-bearing strawberries. We compared the effects of three different mulch treatments and four different covering treatments on yield and quality (brix, color, firmness, and postharvest storage quality) of fruit for the day-neutral strawberry cultivar 'Albion'. We confirmed our preliminary results, suggesting that covering had a significant impact on fruit quality, and that mulch treatment had a significant effect on plant growth and yield. We also established another smaller experiment in which we compared several cultivars' performance in a single standard low tunnel treatment, and found significant differences in yield, quality, and production period. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production. We completed our final year of experiments focused on evaluating response to potassium in high tunnel tomato in three sites (Durham and North Haverhill NH, and Monmouth ME). Our last sets of samples from these experiments are currently in the pipeline in the analytical laboratory. While data analysis is still ongoing, our preliminary results suggest new information regarding potassium fertility in high tunnels. Based on very large decreases in soil K levels at even the highest K application rates, tomato may be a luxury consumer of potassium. It also appears that there was, as we hypothesized, a strong relationship between K application rate, soil K levels, and marketable yields, as well as the disorder yellow shoulder. From observations during these experiments, we also hypothesized that many additional factors may influence potassium availability to high tunnel crops, including particle size and consistent exposure to soil moisture (and the many factors that influence soil moisture, including irrigation strategy and soil type).
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Sideman, RG. 2017. Chapter 4, Rowcovers, in A Guide to the Manufacture, Performance and Potential of Plastics in Agriculture, ed. M. Orzolek, Elsevier Publishing. 350 pgs.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Orde, KM, R. Sideman, K. Demchak, R. Marini, and M. Cooper. Sept 2017. Effects of Low Tunnels on Day-Neutral Strawberry Production in the Northeastern U.S. HortScience 52(9):S267. (Abstr.)
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audiences are commercial farmers, home gardeners, extension educators and researchers. Efforts to reach these audiences included presentations at educational workshops, conferences, field days and on-farm twilight meetings, undergraduate teaching, and educational inservices, as well as interviews with the press. Changes/Problems:No major changes or problems have been identified in our approach. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduate student C. Eaton presented preliminary research results for our project focused on high tunnel tomato nutrient management to 75 certified crop advisors that work throughout Northern New England, in a conference in Portsmouth NH in January 2016. Graduate student K. Orde and PI B. Sideman attended the International Strawberry Symposium, which attracted several hundred international strawberry researchers, in Quebec, Canada in August 2016. Preliminary results from our strawberry low tunnel work was presented to 50 scientists there. Two undergraduate students have worked on this project as research assistants, getting experience with data collection and analysis and experimental design. Two graduate students have worked on this project as research assistants, taking on leadership roles in different portions of the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In this reporting period, we made the following specific presentations and participated in the following interviewsthat relate to the current and prior project results: Growing brussels sprouts: variety choice and whether to top.New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, December 2015, Manchester NH (150 growers) Cold Season Crop Production in Tunnels.New Jersey Vegetable Growers' Convention,January 2016, Atlantic City, NJ (55 growers) Top vegetable varieties in my trials.Vermont Vegetable Berry Growers Association Annual Conference,January 2016, Fairlee VT (85 growers). Managing Soil Fertility in High Tunnel Tomato Production.Connor Eaton, Certified Crop Advisors' Workshop,February 2016. Portsmouth NH (75 agricultural professionals). Sweetpotato production.NOFA Vermont Conference,February 2016,Burlington VT (30 growers) Overview of Vegetable & Small Fruit Research at UNH.NH Master Gardener Tour,May 2016,Durham NH. (20 master gardeners) Overview of Vegetable & Small Fruit Research at UNH.NH Master Gardener Tour,September 2016,Durham NH. (30 master gardeners) Overview of Vegetable & Small Fruit Research at UNH.Biology 412 Class,July 2016,Durham NH.(20 undergraduate students) Overview of Vegetable & Small Fruit Research at UNH.Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems 405 Class,September 2016, Durham NH(10 students) NH Vegetable and Berry Growers' Association Annual Meeting,February 2016, Manchester NH (95 growers). Overwintering Onions.Farmer to Farmer Conference,November 2015, Winterport, ME (15 growers) NH Vegetables: New Crops and Practical Innovations for Year-Round Production.Durham Garden Club, April 2016, Durham NH (45 gardeners) Overview of Vegetable and Small Fruit Research with Climate Change perspective, 360 degree Video Farm Tour, by the USDA Northeast Climate Hub. Filming took place in September 2016, with production underway currently. Overview of Winter Production of Spinach in High Tunnels, Short film for the Durham Agriculture Commission, Filming took place in April 2016, with production underway currently. Interviews: April 2016, Interview with Beth Potier for UNH SPARK 2016 Research Review: Focus on Climate Change, publishedhttps://issuu.com/unhmag/docs/unh_spark-16_web-singles. July 12, 2016. Interview with Peter St. James, WTPL Concord, Seedless Table Grapes in NH. July 19, 2016. Interview with Jodi Torpey, Western Gardeners, for publication in quarterly custom publication for Tractor Supply Company. Overwintering onions research. August 11, 2016. NH Public Radio, Foodstuffs feature.Study finds winter spinach sweetest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our activities during the next reporting period are described below, under each specific objective. Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. We will replace vines that were killed in 2016, in Spring 2017. We will establish the training systems in Spring 2017, as this will be the first season of significant growth after trunk establishment. Winter survival, plant vigor, and susceptibility to four diseases will be re-assessed in spring and summer 2017. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. We will collect data from the 3rd (and final) year of this study in spring 2017, and will analyze data and summarize results, preparing them for publication. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input). We will prepare and submit for publication a manuscript describing the results of our variety trial evaluating spinach cultivars for overwintering in unheated high tunnels. In spring 2017, we will collect data on survival, yields, and market acceptability of overwintered scallions (in open field) and new winter sprouting broccoli cultivars (in high tunnels), and will prepare a preliminary grower research report to describe our results. We will assess at that time whether additional work is warranted, based on the success of our results of these pilot experiments. We will complete data analysis during the winter of 2017, and in 2017, we plan to repeat the experiment we conducted this year that evaluated biological control of cabbage aphid, and expand our collaborations with University of Massachusetts researchers, who are pursuing similar approaches to study management of this pest. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels to improve different aspects of production for two crops: overwintered onions and day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. We will repeat the experiment we conducted this year on fall-bearing strawberries. We will again the effects of three different mulch treatments and four different covering treatments on yield and quality (brix, color, firmness, and postharvest storage quality) of fruit for the dayneutral strawberry cultivar 'Albion'. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production. In 2017, we will focus on data analysis and interpretation of results from this three-year, three-location study, and planning a future set of field experiments in our three research sites. Our specific objectives for tunnel experiments in 2017-18 will be refined dependent upon results from 2016 experiments, which will not become clear until mid-winter 2017.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Many of the high-value crops grown in New England are grown using production systems that are different from the growing methods used in major producing areas and warmer climates. Use of the most effective growing practices for our region (including new varieties, new crops, and season extension strategies) can increase farm profitability through diversification, improved yields, and improved crop quality. Therefore, the focus of thisintegrated research and extension effort is in the area of high-value specialty crop production systems and methods of extending the growing season (e.g. season extension). Our accomplishments during the reporting period are broken down by objective, below. Objective 1. Evaluate eight hardy table grape cultivars grown in three distinct training systems to determine hardiness, disease incidence, yields, and maintenance time required. The research vineyard was established in 2015, and the trellis was installed in fall 2015 through winter 2016. Winter survival, plant vigor, and susceptibility to four diseases were assessed in spring and summer 2016. Some varieties experienced high mortality and high disease susceptibility. We have prepared a preliminary research report for growers that describe our results. Objective 2. Evaluate onion germplasm in an overwintering production system for survival, timing of bulb formation, and potential bulb yield. Results in year 2 of this study (spring 2016) were very similar to those obtained in year 1. We demonstrated varying susceptibility to bolting in different cultivars, and compared bulb yield and maturity date for different cultivars at four different planting dates. The 3rd (and final) year of this study was initiated in August 2016, and prepared for overwintering and data collection in spring 2017. Objective 3. Conduct replicated variety trials for additional high-value crops (to be determined with stakeholder input.) We concluded the third and final year of a variety trial evaluating spinach cultivars for overwintering in unheated high tunnels. We published our results in a research report for growers, and are in the process of writing a scientific manuscript to describe the results for a scientific and extension audience. We also initiated three new projects in 2016. One focused on overwintering scallions, in direct response to grower inquiries. A variety trial with 15 cultivars was established in September 2016, and data collection will begin in spring 2017. The second project is a variety trial with several winter sprouting broccoli cultivars including some that are new since we did preliminary work with this crop in 2010 and 2011. This variety trial was established in a high tunnel, and data collection will begin in spring 2017.The third new project focused on biological control of cabbage aphid, an insect pest that appears to have become more widespread and abundant in Northern New England and has stopped some growers from growing brassica crops. We established an experiment in 2016 that tested three management techniques (biological control via insectary plantings, organic pesticide treatments, and control) for this pest in Brussels sprouts. We have just finished collecting detailed data on pest and beneficial insect prevalence throughout the season, and data analysis is underway. Objective 4. Evaluate the feasibility of using low tunnels to improve different aspects of production for two crops: overwintered onions and day-neutral (fall-bearing) strawberries. See objective two for the description of overwintering onion results. This was the first year of work on fall-bearing strawberries. We compared the effects of three different mulch treatments and four different covering treatments on yield and quality (brix, color, firmness, and postharvest storage quality) of fruit for the dayneutral strawberry cultivar 'Albion'. Preliminary results indicate that covering had a significant impact on fruit quality, and that mulch treatment had a significant effect on plant growth and yield. Objective 5. Validate soil testing methods and generate regionally appropriate recommendations for nutrient management for high tunnel tomato production. We completed the third year of experiments focused on evaluating response to potassium in high tunnel tomato in three sites (Durham and North Haverhill NH, and Monmouth ME). We have collected plant tissue and high tunnel soil tests from various time points throughout the experiment, and the final samples are currently in the pipeline in the analytical laboratory.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Anderson H, Hoover E, Orde, K, Petran A, Rogers M, Rubinstein J and Sideman, B. 2016. Effect of UV-blocking plastic on yield, quality, and organic pest management in day-neutral strawberries in the northern U.S. Proceedings of the International Strawberry Symposium, Quebec City, Canada, 14-17 August 2016.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Hodgdon, E, ND Warren, RG Smith, and RG Sideman. 2016. Multi-functional assessment of cover crops for a short-season northern winter niche: in-season and carryover effects on productivity in weed suppression. Agronomy Journal 108(4):1624-1635.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Eaton, C. Year-round management of high tunnel production systems: spinach and tomato. MS Plant Biology, May 2016.
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