Low

Tunnels for early vegetable

producDon and high prots
Mathieu Ngouajio
Rebekah Struck
Ron Goldy
Michigan State University

Masters Research Project of R. Struck

GLVWG 2011

Importance to Michigan
Vegetable Industry
Lengthen limited growing season
ProtecDon from wind and cool
temperatures
Plant and Harvest Sooner
Get higher market prices

Growing Season in Michigan

Minimum Air Temperature (oC)

30
25
20
15
10
5
32 F
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25

Absolute
frost free
period about
120 days

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360

Julian Days

Short
growing
season
for warm
season
species
Benton Harbor
Minimum Temp.
2001-2005

Market Price for Cucumber

Dollars per 1 1/9 Bushel Cartons

Average Market Price in Michigan

30
25
20
15
10
5

Price Drops by $9.00

on July 16, 2010

Weekly Dates

Market Prices for Tomato

Dollars per 25 lb. Carton

Average Market Price

20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

On August 8 the Price Drops

by $5.00 since July 16.

Weekly Dates

No Market Price for MI Grow Tomato UnDl 7/22/10!

Study conduced in 2010

No Cover
No Cover

Clear
Single Layer

Clear
Double Layer
White
Single Layer

White
Double Layer

Perforated plas?c row cover

Spun-woven row cover
C

Double Layer
(Row cover + plas?c)

Single Layer
(Plas?c)

No cover

A: Soil temperature sensor at 4 (10 cm)deep. (All Reps)

B: Air Temp + RH at 6 (15.24 cm) above the bed (All Reps)
C: Light sensor at 10 (25.4 cm) above the bed (2nd replica?on only)

Date
April 22, 2010

May 24, 2010

May 28, 2010
June 4, 2010
June 10, 2010

AcDvity

Tomato Transplants and cucumber seeds were planted on black

mulch raised bed
Installed temperature, rela?ve humidity, and light sensors
Installed low tunnels
Removed low tunnels
Replanted missing cucumber plants within all treatments
Replanted tomato transplants in the normal plan?ng date control
treatments
Pruning of tomato
Sensors removed
Thinned cucumber plants to 2 plants per hole

Minimum Air Temperatures

34.00

Air Temperature o F

33.00

Summary

32.00
31.00
30.00
29.00
No Cover
Clear Single
White Single
Clear Double
White Double

28.00
27.00
26.00
25.00
April 28, 2010

May 10, 2010

Frost Date

The double
layer system
increased air
temp. by about
4 oF during frost
events.

Total Growing Degree Days

Summary

600.00

# of Degree Days

500.00
400.00
300.00

No Cover
Clear Single
White Single
Clear Double
White Double

Double layer
treatment has
almost twice as
many
cumulaDve
growing degree
days compared
to the No cover
treatment .

200.00
100.00
0.00

Dates

PAR Light (uM/m^2s)

Average PAR Reading per Treatment

800.00
700.00
600.00
500.00
400.00
300.00
200.00
100.00
0.00

Summary
The Clear plasDc
transmits more
light then the
White plasDc.
No Cover Clear Single White
Single

Treatment

Clear
Double

White
Double

No Cover

(Early PlanDng )
Frost and Wind
Damage are
very apparent.

Clear Single
Layer

Study conducted in 2010

Clear
Single
Layer

No Cover
(Early
PlanDng )

Frost and Wind

Damage are very
apparent.

No Cover (Early PlanDng)

Clear Single Layer

Cucumber Yield
Total Marketable Yield of Cucumber
350.00
300.00

No Cover (Normal PlanDng Date)

Treatment First Harvest Date

Weight (kg)

250.00
200.00

No Cover
Clear Single
White Single
Clear Double
White Double
No Cover (Normal)

150.00
100.00
50.00
0.00

Harvest Date

Speedway Cucumbers

Low Tunnels Treatments

Planted April 22
First Harvest was June 24
No Cover Treatment
Planted May 24
First Harvest was July 6
(Fourth harvest for Low
Tunnel treatments)

Revenue for Cucumber

Revenue (Dollars)

Revenue for Cucumber

90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
No Cover

Clear Single White Single Clear Double

White
Double

No Cover
(Normal)

Treatment

Low tunnels increase revenue up to $11.

Tomato Yield
Total Marketable Yield of Tomato
No Cover (Normal
PlanDng Date) First
Harvest Date

200.00
180.00

Weight (kg)

160.00
140.00
120.00

No Cover
Clear Single
White Single
Clear Double
White Double
No Cover (Normal)

100.00
80.00
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
7/16/2010

7/23/2010

7/30/2010

8/6/2010

Harvest Dates

8/13/2010

8/20/2010

Mountain Spring Tomatoes

Low Tunnels Treatments

Planted April 22
First Harvest was July 16
No Cover Treatment
Planted May 28
First Harvest was July 30
(Fich harvest for Low
Tunnel treatments)

Revenue for Tomato

Tomato Revenue Per Treatment
Revenue (Dollars)

90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
No Cover

Clear Single White Single Clear Double White Double No Cover

(Normal)

Treatment

Low tunnels increase revenue between $18 - $35.

Summary of 2010 Study

Best Frost ProtecDon/ Most
Growing Degree Days
Clear Double Layer Treatment
Best Yield/ Revenue for Cucumber
Clear Single Layer Treatment
Best Yield/Revenue for Tomato
White Double Layer Treatment

Summary of 2010 Study

Revenue
Dened as the money made before
deducDons for costs and over head.
Know that low tunnels benet.
Need to factor in low tunnel materials
and labor costs.

22

Acknowledgements
Support for studies was provided in part
by L. H. Piggof & Girls Family Farm / Farm
Market and the Michigan Agricultural
Experiment StaDon.
Thanks to Dave Francis and all students
for their technical assistance.

QuesDons?