Maximizing Yields with Protected Culture in Small-Scale Farming

1. Using Protected Culture in Small Farming Bob Hochmuth Multi County Extension Agent UF/IFAS Ed Skvarch Commercial Horticulture Agent UF/IFAS

2. First, What is Protected Culture? • Use of structures, technology, or materials to provide protection to a crop. • Protection from: • Temperature and Light Extremes (high and low) • Insects and wildlife pests • Diseases • Wind • Rainfall, excessive dew, etc. • Soil-borne problems (with soilless culture)

3. Examples of Protected Culture Structures, Technologies and Materials • Plastic Mulch And Drip Irrigation • Frost Covers, Row Covers • Temporary Covers plus Misters (Microjets) • Low Tunnels (1-2 feet high) • High Tunnels, Walk-in Tunnels, Hoop Houses (usually about 8-15 ft high) • Shade Culture • Greenhouses (heating, cooling, shading, etc) • Fan and Pad vs. Passively Ventilated • Pest Exclusion (screening and metalized mulch)

5. What is a high tunnel ? • High tunnels are unheated, plastic-covered structures with the goals of using low-cost technology to increase yields, improve quality, and extend the season.

6. Dimensions • High tunnels are tall enough to walk-in comfortably and to grow tall, trellised crops such as tomatoes • There are no standard dimensions for high tunnel sizes, but they typically fall within the ranges of 14-30 feet wide by 30-96 feet long

7. Environmental Control • Most high tunnels are passively ventilated via roll-up sidewalls and end walls that can be opened or removed. • Crops generally require no heat, though supplementary heat can be provided for protection.

8. Environmental Control • Row covers used within high tunnels provide additional protection from cold temperatures • In general, a single layer (the poly on the high tunnel) provides one hardiness zone of protection, and a second (the row cover) will provide another zone of protection

9. Site Considerations • Check local zoning ordinances • North/South axis to avoid shade and take advantage of predominant winds • Removal of excess water is crucial • 1” water falling on a 30x96 house= 0.6 gals/ft² = 1,728 gallons Level & square • Think about recapturing / reusing runoff • Location

10. Site Considerations • Crops are typically grown in ground beds within the high tunnel rather than in containers • Crops grown in these ground beds must be irrigated because rain cannot enter the protective structure

11. Production Systems

12. Benefits of High Tunnel Production • New Opportunities to Grow Difficult Crops • Price Advantage (offseason) • Hold Customers Longer • More Total Sales • Uniqueness…First or Only to Have a Product • Keep Labor on Farm • Spread Cash Flow

13. Benefits of High Tunnel Production • Less weed pressure? • Insect & disease control ? • Crop protection from wind, rain, cold, heat (with shade cloth)

14. Costs of High Tunnels • Unlike commercial greenhouses that cost up to $20 per square foot to construct, high tunnels can cost as little as $0.50 per square foot

15. Costs of High Tunnels • Per structure or per square foot • – $5500/(30’ x 96’) = $1.90/sq.ft. • • Including extras, labor and freight • – $5500 + $1500 = $7000 ($2.43/sq.ft.) • • Spread out over time (10 years) • – $700/year • • Operating costs/management

16. Costs of High Tunnels(roughly) • FarmTek, Atlas, Stuppy • $1200/(18’ x 24’) = $2.77 sq.ft. • $5500/(30’ x 96’) = $1.76 • • Haygrove • $22,000/(96’ x 200’) = $1.15 • • Homemade • $1000/(14’ x 100) = $0.71 • $500/(18’ x 30) = $0.93

17. Low Tunnels • 0.6–1.0 m (24-39 in) in height • Cover low growing crops such as lettuce • Floating row cover material supported by small hoops • Protects plants from pests like aphids, thrips, and leaf-feeding beetles • Cold & sun protection

18. Low Walk in Shaded Tunnels- Multiple UsesShade or Cold Protection

19. Focus Next on Open Shade Culture to Extend the Season in Florida

20. Specialty Greens Under Shade

21. Floating Lettuce and Greens Under Shade for Farmers Market Sales

22. Waterkist Farms – Floating Lettuce Under Open Shade Structure

23. Tomatoes of all Kinds Being Grown in Florida—Shade Helps with the Tough Ones

24. Heirloom Tomatoes Under Shade

25. Tomatoes under shade in South Florida

26. Lettuce under shade in South Florida

27. Hydroponic Peppers in a Shade House for Summer Production

28. Great Interest in Open Shade Production in Florida

29. Pepper Trials and Grower Experience = 30-45% Shade

30. Typical Shade House Pepper Set Up for Soilless Culture

31. Research Trial Results at UF/IFAS- Suwannee Valley

34. Harvest Results • Harvests June 16 – November 9, 2006 • Total Marketable = 4,139 boxes/A • Fancy = 3,460 boxes/A • US No 1 = 477 boxes/A • US No 2 = 202 boxes/A

35. Fruit Size

36. For more information visit the Small Farms website at http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu • Take a virtual field day tour by visiting the Virtual Field Day website at http://vfd.ifas.ufl.edu

37. The Protected Agriculture Information Network Invites you to attend the “Treasure Coast Protected Ag Workshop” Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 Time: 8:00 am to 1:30 pm Hosts: Ed Skvarch, Christine Kelly- Begazo, Teresa Salamé and BielinskiSantos Place: Indian River Research & Education Center, 2199 South Rock Road, Ft. Pierce, Florida Cost: FREE (RSVP to Teresa Salamé [tsalame@ufl.edu] by November 4, 2011) or call the St. Lucie County Extension (772) 462-1660 to register by phone.