Background• Strawberry plants under high tunnels were not
only better established, but also produced higher yields and quality than open field plants (Kadir et al., 2006).
• Early yields increased inside high tunnels when compared with those from open fields. Strawberry total marketable yields maximized inside high tunnels in comparison with open fields (Salam-Donoso et al., 2010).
Background
• Producing strawberries in the fall and following spring using high tunnels resulted in higher yields than those grown in the open field (Fernandez and Ballington, 2003).
• Tomatoes grown in high tunnels contained significantly higher levels of lycopene, sugars and red color (Wszelaki and Rogers, 2009).
Methods
• Six varieties compared • 4 replicated plots/variety inside and outside
high tunnels• 28 plants/plot with double-staggered row with
plants 12 in. apart on black plastic• Plants were fertilized once a week with fish
emulsion (1lb N/acre)• M-Pede, Aza-Direct and PyGanic were used for
insect control as needed
Season 3- Plant Establishment• Fall planting (September 23, 2011)• All plugs
– June-Bearers• Chandler• Radiance• Strawberry Festival
– Day Neutrals • Albion• San Andreas• Seascape
Yield characteristics measured:
• Marketable yield• Unmarketable yield
• Insect damage• Poor pollination• Cold damage
Season 3- Yields to Date
VarietyMarketable
Yield/Plot (lbs)Unmarketable Yield/Plot (lbs)
High TunnelsAlbion 1.2 1.2Seascape 0.5 0.7Chandler 0.2 0.9Radiance 2.8 2.0San Andreas 0.9 1.6Strawberry Festival 2.1 2.4
Bumblebee hives were placed in each tunnel November 10.Harvest began December 2; 6 harvests included until January 12.
Reasons for Unmarketability
VarietyInsect Damage (% by weight)
Poor Pollination
(% by weight)
Cold Damage (% by weight)
High TunnelsAlbion 49 23 30Seascape 51 21 26Chandler 67 27 5Radiance 77 14 7San Andreas 67 17 13Strawberry Festival 88 7 2
Colorimeter
• Used to objectively describe all the colors visible to the human eye.
• L= 0 yields black and L=100 yields white (lightness)
• a= negative values indicate green, positive values indicate magenta
• b= negative values indicate blue, positive values indicate yellow
Color Test
Variety L avg a avg b avg
High TunnelsAlbion 30.16 34.34 15.20Radiance 32.17 34.45 14.23Strawberry Festival 34.00 33.31 15.79P-value 0.1055 0.6942 0.5910
Force Test
Variety Firmness (grams)
High TunnelsAlbion 299Radiance 256Strawberry Festival 300P-value 0.3869
Refractometer
• Reichert AR200 Digital Refractometer
• 1 degree Brix = 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution
• Represents the strength of the solution as percentage by weight
Soluble Solids
Variety Brix Value
High TunnelsAlbion 9.9 aRadiance 9.1 bStrawberry Festival 9.6 abP-value 0.0310
Season 3- Improvements• Winter high tunnel production• Excellent flavor, firmness and sugar content• Large berry size
Biodegradable Mulches for Specialty Crops Produced Under Protective Covers
Debra Inglis and Carol Miles (Project Directors)1;Andrew Corbin, Ana Espinola-Arredondo, Annabel Kirschner, Karen Leonas, Tom Marsh and Tom Walters1;
Doug Hayes, Bobby Jones, Jaehoon Lee, Larry Wadsworth and Annette Wszelaki2; Jennifer Moore-Kucera3; Russ Wallace4; Marion Brodhagen5 ; and Eric Belasco6;
1 25
SCRI Grant Award
No. 2009-51181-05897
43 6