pepper variety performance in high tunnels · 2019-04-15 · 2/13/2019 1 1 pepper variety...
TRANSCRIPT
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Pepper Variety Performance in High Tunnels
Petrus Langenhoven, Ph.D.Horticulture and Hydroponics Crops Specialist
Indiana Horticulture Congress, Indianapolis IN, February 14, 2019
Outline of Presentation
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• Background
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• ConclusionPhoto Credit: www.ogvg.com
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Background
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• U.S. consumption of fresh bell peppers averaged 11.4 lbs. per person in 2017, up 6% from 2015 (USDA|ERS, 2018)
• Majority of the crop is field-grown• Most of the crop is sold as mature green peppers• Growers receive a premium for a limited amount of other colors• Premium reflects the fact that bright-colored bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, purple,
brown and black) are more costly to produce (field losses are higher and yields are lower) than those harvested at the green stage
• In 2017, approximately 1.6 million lbs. of bell peppers for fresh market were grown on approximately 43,300 acres with a crop valued at $642 million
• The top bell pepper states in the U.S. are California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, and Michigan.
• Peppers are grown across the U.S., but California produce 47% of the fresh market bell peppers
Background
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• Important crop grown throughout Indiana• It is a very lucrative crop grown mostly by
smaller growers for direct marketing• High tunnel production allows growers to extend
their production season and also protect their crop against severe environmental conditions
• Sweet colored peppers can yield well in the protected conditions of an unheated high tunnel
• Crop quality is much higher and could be harvested when fully mature
• Information is lacking about which varieties are adapted for high tunnel production and their performance
Photo Credits: Petrus Langenhoven
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Colored Sweet Pepper Cultivar Characteristics
Cultivar TypeDays to
MaturityImmature Fruit Color
Mature Fruit Color
Purpose
Chesapeake Bell Pepper 72 green red open field
Zamboni Bell Pepper 70 green red greenhouse
Flavorburst Bell Pepper 87 lime green yellowish orange high tunnel
Vanguard Bell Pepper 75 dark green red open field
Archimedes Bell Pepper 76 green red open field
Red Knight Bell Pepper 66 dark green red open field
Marcato Tapered Pepper 70 green red open field
Blitz Bell Pepper 70 dark green red high tunnel
Tequila Bell Pepper 68 purple red open field
Delirio Bell Pepper 72 green orange high tunnel
*Data obtained from seed company listed information
High Tunnel Layout
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• Location: Purdue Student Farm
• Sow: May 7, 2018
• Plant: June 4, 2018
• Spacing:• Between rows: 4 feet center-to-center
• In-row: 1.5 feet
• Bed raised 10-12 inches high
• Raised beds 1 ft. wide on top
• Black and white woven polypropylene ground cover
• 10 metal posts per row
• 50 plants per row
• 10 sweet pepper varieties, 5 plants per plot
• 6 replicates, randomized block design
• 300 plants per 30 ft x 96 ft high tunnel
• 7,260 plants per acrePhoto Credits: Petrus Langenhoven
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7Photo Credits: Petrus Langenhoven
1 ft.
4 ft. 10‐12”
Nutrient and Irrigation Management
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Soil test results (4/6/2018)
Soil amendments
• Compost: ≈ 50 cubic yards were applied in the spring of 2017
Fertility Management
• Nitrogen, 60 lb. N/A from Nature’s Source® Professional 10-4-3 liquid plant food
• Was applied by fertigating 15 lb. N/A four times at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after transplanting.
Irrigation
0.5 gallon per plant per day from 8 weeks after transplanting
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Pruning and Trellising
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No pruning was done during the growing season• Vigorous varieties require thicker or longer stakesTrellising• Metal posts that are 8 ft. tall were used, driven about 2 ft.
into the ground, 8 ft. apart• Used commercially available “staking twine” (polyethylene)
that is resistant to weathering and stretching, and binds well• First string was placed 7 to 9 inches above the ground when
the plants were about 10 to 12 inches high (before first fruit set)
• Florida weave with the first string, then box string remainder• Tying the twine to an end stake, passing the string between
each plant, and looping the twine around each stake as you go until you reach the end of the row
• Consecutive strings run along side of row, looping and tightening string around each stake
• Strings located every 6 to 8 inches; 3 to 4 strings was required
9 weeks after transplanting
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
Weed and Pest Management
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• Weed control was minimal and done by hand
• No foliar application of pesticides were made during the growing season
• Preventative actions were taken in the root zone
• Plants were treated with:• Biological fungicide BotryStopTM
(BioWorks®) at a rate of 3 lb./A dissolved in 100 gallons water, and
• Rootshield® PLUS+ WP (BioWorks®) at 6 ozper 100 gallons water
Photo Credits: Petrus Langenhoven
Hornworm larvae parasitized by braconid wasp
Stinkbug
Bacterial soft rot
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Root Disease Control
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BotryStop™Biological Fungicide
RootShield® PLUS+ WPRoot Disease Control | Biological Fungicide
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
Source: BioWorks® https://www.bioworksinc.com/index.php
Sweet Peppers, 14 Weeks After Transplanting
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Harvest
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• Harvest when entire fruit reached mature color (red, orange, yellow)• Harvesting was initiated 10 days after first peppers reached maturity• Harvest the crop once a week (every 7 days)• Peppers were picked using a round tip knife or pruner• Harvesting continued between 92 and 127 days after transplanting• For each plot the marketable and unmarketable number of fruits, fruit
weight, fruit size (length and width) and flesh thickness were recorded• During the last harvest (October 9, 2018) all mature colored and green fruit
were harvested• Data was analyzed using ANOVA followed by treatment means separation
using Tukey-Kramer’s least significant difference at P≤ 0.05.
Harvesting with Pruner or Round Tip Knife where Pedicel Attach to the Stem
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Yield of Colored Sweet Pepper CultivarsCultivar
# fruit per plant
# fruit per tunnel
# fruit per Acre
Fruit Weight (oz)
Yield
(lb/plant)
Yield
(lb/tunnel)Yield
(lb/Acre)
Chesapeake 17.2 a 5,160 a 127,717 a 7.05 cd 7.76 a 2,328 a 56,326 a
Zamboni 11.3 ab 3,390 ab 93,250 abc 8.80 b 7.03 ab 2,109 ab 51,046 ab
Flavorburst 15.3 ab 4,590 ab 113,550 ab 7.01 cd 6.84 ab 2,052 ab 49,689 ab
Vanguard 9.9 b 2,970 b 73,183 bc 10.71 a 6.78 ab 2,034 ab 49,234 ab
Archimedes 9.4 b 2,820 b 69,533 c 11.07 a 6.61 ab 1,983 ab 47,979 ab
Red Knight 10.0 b 3,000 b 81,983 bc 9.38 b 6.60 ab 1,980 ab 47,882 ab
Marcato 16.1 ab 4,830 ab 124,333 a 6.12 de 6.56 ab 1,968 ab 47,643 ab
Blitz 9.8 b 2,940 b 68,433 c 10.73 a 6.25 ab 1,875 ab 45,368 ab
Tequila 16.1 ab 4,830 ab 129,233 a 5.34 e 5.94 ab 1,782 ab 43,112 ab
Delirio 9.2 b 2,760 b 69,550 c 7.73 c 4.65 b 1,395 b 33,728 b
Pr > F <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 NS NS NS
Tunnel dimensions: 96 x 30 ft. = 2,880 ft2
Tunnel footprint used: 80 x 30 ft. = 2,400 ft2 (83.3%)Plants per tunnel: 300
Harvesting was done between 92 and 127 DAT
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Colored Sweet Pepper Fruit CharacteristicsCultivar
Fruit Length (inch)
Fruit Width (inch)
Fruit Shape*Flesh Thickness
(inch)Chesapeake 3.61 dz 3.34 cd 1.08 0.24 bcZamboni 3.78 cd 3.56 bc 1.06 0.25 bFlavorburst 3.92 cd 3.40 cd 1.15 0.20 dVanguard 4.24 bc 4.20 a 1.01 0.31 aArchimedes 4.53 b 3.97 ab 1.14 0.25 bRed Knight 3.90 cd 3.75 abc 1.04 0.26 bMarcato 6.95 a 3.37 cd 2.06 0.19 dBlitz 4.18 bc 3.91 ab 1.07 0.26 bTequila 3.70 d 2.97 d 1.24 0.22 cdDelirio 3.59 d 3.62 bc 0.99 0.24 bcPr > F <.0001 <.0001 - <.0001
*Length to diameter ratio; ≤0.95: very blocky, flattened shape; 1.00: blocky, length equal to diameter; ≥1.05: elongated shape with length greater than diameter. Variable was not subjected to statistical analysis
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Archimedes
Thickness ≈ 0.25”
Length ≈ 4.53”
Width ≈ 3.97”
Weight ≈ 11.07 oz
Elongated shape
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Blitz
Elongated shape
Weight ≈ 10.73 oz
Width ≈ 3.91”
Length ≈ 4.18”
Thickness ≈ 0.26”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Chesapeake
Elongated shape
Weight ≈ 7.05 oz
Width ≈ 3.34”
Length ≈ 3.61”
Thickness ≈ 0.24”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Delirio
Blocky
Weight ≈ 7.73 oz
Width ≈ 3.62”
Length ≈ 3.59”
Thickness ≈ 0.24”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Flavorburst
Elongated shape
Weight ≈ 7.01 oz
Width ≈ 3.40”
Length ≈ 3.92”
Thickness ≈ 0.20”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Marcato
Elongated shape
Weight ≈ 6.12 oz
Width ≈ 3.37”
Length ≈ 6.95”
Thickness ≈ 0.19”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Red Knight
Blocky
Weight ≈ 9.38 oz
Width ≈ 3.75”
Length ≈ 4.53”
Thickness ≈ 0.26”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Tequila
Elongated shape
Weight ≈ 5.34 oz
Width ≈ 2.97”
Length ≈ 3.70”
Thickness ≈ 0.22”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Vanguard
Blocky
Weight ≈ 10.71 oz
Width ≈ 4.20”
Length ≈ 4.24”
Thickness ≈ 0.31”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Zamboni
Elongated shape
Weight ≈ 8.80 oz
Width ≈ 3.56”
Length ≈ 3.78”
Thickness ≈ 0.25”
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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Conclusions
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• Chesapeake produced the highest number of fruit per plant and yield
• Archimedes, Blitz and Vanguard produced the largest fruit
• Tequila matures fast and very evenly and 1 to 2 pickings will complete the harvest. Perfect for harvesting when purple
• Tequila and Marcato produced fruit that are perfect for stir frying
• Marcato is a great roasting pepper
• Vanguard and Red Knight produced blocky fruit while the other entries produced an elongated fruit shape
• All varieties performed well under high tunnel conditions except Delirio
Acknowledgements
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• Chris Adair, Purdue Student Farm Manager
• Summer Interns• Jeffery Bates
• Wyatt Lucas
• Student Farm workers
Photo Credit: Petrus Langenhoven
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THANK YOUQuestions?
Contact details:
Dr. Petrus Langenhoven
Horticulture and Hydroponics Crop Specialist
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Purdue University
Tel. no. 765-496-7955
Email: [email protected]
2018 Midwest Vegetable Trial Reporthttps://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2018.aspx