growing undercover
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Growing Undercover. Florida Tunnel Production. By: Skeeter Bethea. Florida Production. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Growing UndercoverFlorida Tunnel Production
By: Skeeter Bethea
Florida Production Located nearly at sea level about 25 miles east of the Sarasota
Coast on the Gulf of Mexico is Enza Zaden’s Myakka City, Florida Research Station. This location presents a favorable climate for tunnel production, though not without it’s challenges.
Florida’s mild winters bring an average low of 48F (Lowest recorded 18F) and has an average of only 5 days per year with below freezing temperatures.
Those temperatures are balanced by high annual temperatures averaging 92F. The highest recorded temperature reached a steamy 105F, and Florida sees approximately 134 days per year at about 90F.
Florida is also one of the highest light environments on the East coast.
Those warm temperatures are assets, but heavy rain and frost threaten production.
SpecsLocation Myakka City, FLTunnel Manufacture Tunnel TechDeminsion/House 150ft long x 28ft wide# houses in range 5 housesConcept/Design Passisve Ventilation**Container 3gal cheater potMedia Fafard 51L (60% 3/8" pine bark, 30% candian peat, 10% perlite)Row Spacing 7 ft centersPlant Spacing Double row 14 inch spacingPlant Population 10,667/ac, .24plnts/sqft, 2.64plnts/m2Fertilizer A and B mixes Injection Proportional: DosamaticDripper Netafim O1WPCJL8-b, 2.1 gph (1/pot)
The Tunnel Concept
We use gutter connected, 28’ wide by 150’ long tunnel spans that are covered in a single layer of polyethylene with 88% light transmission.
With the use of roll up doors, arched end cap vents, and the use of Svensson’s OLS30 shade cloth over the trellis, we successfully achieve a “Passive Ventilation” system that keeps optimal temperature in the growing zone.
The porous ceiling of the shade cloth inside the tunnel creates a barrier with the hottest air being concentrated in the attic space and ventilated out through the arched end cap vents by wind and buoyancy.
Gutters
Open View
Airflow
Airflow
Airflow
Tunnel Attic
Date Air Temp (oF)
Growing Degree Days
() Min Max Avg
04/01/2013 63.2 104.2 84.8 84 04/02/2013 58.2 113.4 79.1 79 04/03/2013 57.2 107.7 76.7 76 04/04/2013 63.2 84.7 68.4 68 04/05/2013 57.1 94.5 71.4 71 04/06/2013 55.4 106.6 74.7 74 04/07/2013 55.5 62.3 57.4 57 04/08/2013 61.9 110.6 89.7 89 04/09/2013 57.2 106.7 75.1 75 04/10/2013 58.6 113.2 79.5 79 04/11/2013 64.9 109.5 79.2 79 04/12/2013 68.8 93.1 78.8 78 04/13/2013 N/A N/A N/A N/A 04/14/2013 N/A N/A N/A N/A 04/15/2013 69.0 118.0 94.3 94 04/16/2013 64.9 120.1 84.0 84 04/17/2013 63.6 112.5 87.8 87 04/18/2013 62.4 107.0 82.4 82
Tunnel Growing Zone
Date Air Temp (oF)
Growing Degree Days
() Min Max Avg
04/01/2013 62.3 89.7 76.7 76 04/02/2013 57.1 95.3 71.8 71 04/03/2013 56.5 89.5 70.6 70 04/04/2013 61.6 76.9 65.7 65 04/05/2013 56.6 81.2 66.6 66 04/06/2013 54.1 91.0 68.0 68 04/07/2013 54.8 59.9 56.4 56 04/08/2013 60.9 94.2 80.0 80 04/09/2013 56.5 91.6 69.7 69 04/10/2013 57.5 92.7 71.8 71 04/11/2013 63.6 92.7 73.4 73 04/12/2013 67.1 84.3 73.6 73 04/13/2013 N/A N/A N/A N/A 04/14/2013 N/A N/A N/A N/A 04/15/2013 68.0 99.1 83.6 83 04/16/2013 63.5 101.9 77.2 77 04/17/2013 62.3 95.5 79.2 79 04/18/2013 61.1 90.4 74.5 74
Tunnel Attic OutsideTunnel Growing Zone
Outside
Date Air Temp (oF)
Growing Degree Days
() Min Max Avg
04/01/2013 65.5 82.0 75.1 75 04/02/2013 59.0 84.2 70.5 70 04/03/2013 59.7 87.1 72.7 72 04/04/2013 65.5 71.2 68.6 68 04/05/2013 60.4 74.1 67.8 67 04/06/2013 57.6 78.4 66.8 66 04/07/2013 58.3 64.0 60.7 60 04/08/2013 65.5 84.9 78.0 78 04/09/2013 59.7 84.2 72.0 72 04/10/2013 61.9 88.5 73.2 73 04/11/2013 68.4 87.1 76.1 76 04/12/2013 72.7 82.8 77.4 77 04/13/2013 N/A N/A N/A N/A 04/14/2013 N/A N/A N/A N/A 04/15/2013 73.4 90.7 82.8 82 04/16/2013 68.4 90.0 78.1 78 04/17/2013 66.9 87.1 78.6 78 04/18/2013 65.5 88.5 77.3 77
Temperature Monitoring
Pollination
Harvest Goals
Planting Date
Harvest Window
Round Tomato Yield
Colored Pepper
Cucumber*
9/15 12/1 – 5/1 20lbs/plnt 11lbs/plnt 15lbs/plnt
*Cucumbers are a 10 week harvest so you would need 3 plantings to span the same Window as the tomatoes and pepper.
Pepper
Pepper
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Determinates
Contact Information
Tunnel TechKathleen Fouse717-208-16931-855-TTTunnels
CravoBen Martin905-317-3546
Thank You!
Thanks for the opportunity Thanks to Enza Zaden Any questions?
Skeeter Bethea [email protected]