1992 EXTENSION DEMONSTRATION AND RESEARCH REPORT COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

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1 1992 EXTENSION DEMONSTRATION AND RESEARCH REPORT COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS FAIRBANKS, ALASKA Ken Krieg Editor February, 1993

2 PRODUCING VEGETABLES WITH WAVELENGTH- SELECTIVE PLASTIC MULCH AND PERFORATED ROW COVERS by Jerry Purser, Agriculture Resource Management Agent Cooperative Extension Service COOPERATORS: Ted & Preston Pyrah, Pyrah's Pioneer Peak Farm, and Paula Giauque, Gold Nugget Farm LOCATION: FUNDING SOURCES: OBJECTIVES: Pioneer Peak Farm, Bodenberg Loop Road, Palmer, Alaska Alaska Science & Technology Foundation, Tennessee Valley Authority, Polyon West, and Pure-Gro Agricultural Chemicals 1. To demonstrate the use of wavelength-selective plastic mulch and perforated row covers in producing vegetables, 2, The development of an enterprise budget of costs and returns when using plastic mulch and row covers in the production of vegetables, (To be published later.) METHODS: The site was disked and broadcast fertilized with Ib/a of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P25) and potash (K^O) respectively on 5/9/92. The site was then rototilled to a depth of 4 in and cultipacked to prevent wind erosion of soil. The wavelength-selective mulch and drip irrigation lines were laid simultaneously from 5/18-22/92 using a mechanical mulch layer. Rows were 8 in apart and 4 ft in length. The wide row spacing was required to accommodate the mechanical hoop setter and tunnel layer. Corn and beans were seeded in the row using a Seedway garden planter prior to the application of plastic mulch. All other vegetables in the trial were planted as transplants using a mechanical transplanter designed for use on plastic mulch. The transplants were planted at the two true leaf stage of growth. Table 1 lists the crops grown, cultivar, row length, seed transplant spacing and date(s) planted. After seeding and transplanting, all rows except those containing beans, corn, pumpkins and cantaloupe were covered with a clear perforated row cover using a mechanical hoop setter and tunnel layer. The tunnels, 16 in high, were supported with nine-gauge wire hoops spaced on in centers. 24

3 Table 1. Row Length, Seed and Transplant Spacing and Date of Planting for Vegetables Grown in Plastic Mulch Trial. Vegetable Crop Cultivar Planted Row Length (ft) Transplant Seed Spacing (in) Date Planted Acora Squash Bean Bean Bean Butter Cup Squash Butternut Squash Cantaloupe Cucumber Eggplant Novelty Squash Pepper Pumpkin Scallopini Squash Sweet Corn Sweet Corn Sweet Corn Summer Squash Autumn Queen Contender Provider Royal Burgundy Sweet Mama Early Butternut Hybrid Solid Gold Slice King Dusky Spaghetti Squash Early Hybrid Frosty Summer Scallop Baby Corn Northern Vee Polar Vee Sundance Black Jack Gold Slice Gold Rush Seneca Seneca Prolific Super Select Zucchini - Cousa Zucchini Select /28 5/28 The cantaloupe and pumpkin seedlings were covered with a solid row cover using the mechanical hoop setter and tunnel layer. The bean and corn seedlings were released from underneath the wavelengthselective mulch on 6/5/92, by slitting the plastic down the center of the row. The released seedlings were then covered with a clear perforated row cover. Two 1, gal storage tanks supplied the drip irrigation lines. A fertilizer injector was installed on the main distribution line to provide additional fertilizer during the growing season. Starting on 7/6/92, water soluble fertilizer was added twice weekly until 8/27/92 on all crops except beans. Total fertilizer added was -1-1 Ib/a of N, P25and K.O, respectively. The five bean rows were split in half with one half receiving Ib/a of N, P25 and K2, The other half of bean rows received Ib/a of N, P25 and K2 respectively. Two sets of water filters with disposal cartridges were installed to remove solids. Water was applied at 8 psi using four electric water pumps. Tensiometers were installed at five locations in the field to indicate when irrigation was needed. 25

4 Soil thermometers were placed at the base of the cantaloupe transplants and at 2 in and 3 in soil depths, under plastic mulch to record soil temperatures under clear solid row covers, RESULTS: Harvest began 7/6/92 and was conducted twice weekly throughout the growing season. Production data is given in Table 2 and reported on a weekly basis. Table 3 shows yield of zucchini squash variety trials using wavelength-selective plastic mulch and clear perforated row covers. Table 4 shows the effect of wavelengthselective plastic mulch and solid clear row covers on air and soil temperature. Table 2. Yield of Vegetable Crops Using Wavelength-Selective Plastic Mulch and Clear Perforated Row Covers - Pyrah's Pioneer Peak Farm, Palmer, Alaska. CROP (VARIETY) BEAN Provider Contender Royal Burgundy CANTELOUPE Solid Gold CORN Baby Corn Northern Vee Polar Vee CUCUMBER Slice King HYBRID EGGPLANT Dusky HYBRID PEPPER Early Hybrid PUMPKIN Frosty SQUASH Acorn Autumn Queen Buttercup Sweet Mama Butternut Early Butternut Hybrid Novelty Spaghetti Scallopini Summer Scallop YELLOW SUMMER Sundance HARVEST DATE 7/1 7/17 7/24 7/31 8/7 8/14 8/21 8/28 (Ib/lOOftofrow) j7 TOTAL YIELD Number of mature ears/1 ft of row 2 Number of mature ears/1 ft of row 3 Number of pumpkins (estimated) 26

5 Table 3, Yield of Using Wavelength-Selective Plastic Mulch and Clear Perforated Row Covers. HARVEST DATE ZUCCHINI VARIETY 7/1 7/17 7/24 7/31 8/7 8/14 8/21 8/28 (Ib/lOOftofrow) TOTAL YIELD Super Select Seneca Prolific Seneca Gold Rush Black Jack Zucchini Select Gold Slice Zucchini - Cousa Table 4. The Effect of Wavelength-Selective Plastic Mulch and Solid Clear Row Covers on Soil Temperature, Date Weather Conditions Air Temp if Transplant Level if 2 in. Soil IF 3 in Soil IF 6/5 6/6 6/8 6/22 6/26 6/29 7/6 7/ MEAN DISCUSSION: Production Data: The top producer for 1992 was Seneca zucchini squash which produced 935 lb/1 ft of row. In 1991, the top producer was novelty squash (Spaghetti) which produced 1,152 lb/1 ft of row as compared to 859 lbs/1 ftofrowin!9921. Dusky hybrid eggplant, (Early Hybrid) hybrid pepper, (Baby Corn) corn, and (Early Butternut Hybrid) butternut squash did not mature and produced no harvestable crop. Although pepper has a reputation of always having aphids in the greenhouse, none were observed on plants in the field. The baby corn grew approximately 6 ft in height but produced no ears, (Slice King) cucumber and (Sundance) yellow summer squash were the first vegetables to mature, with the first harvest occurring 45 days after transplanting. Harvest for five of the zucchini squash varieties started 48 days after transplanting. 27

6 The beans that received Ib/a of N, P25 and K.O Ib/a produced 98 Ib of beans/1 ft of row. The rows that received Ibs of N, P25 and K2 Ib/a produced 92 Ibs of beans/1 ft of row. All vegetables that matured were harvested when they met USDA grades and standards, except the corn, cantaloupe and pumpkins which were left in the field until 9/11/92, when a one-time harvest occurred. The pumpkins averaged 12 Ibs each when harvested. The cantaloupe were small in size but twenty matured enough to be edible at the end of the season. Soil Temperature: The solid row covers over the wavelength-selective mulch produced temperatures 135 F, on 6/5/92, at the soil level near the base of the transplants. For the eight readings, the mean was 97 F at soil level. These high temperatures killed most of the pumpkin transplants, but had no effect on the canteloupe transplants. The row covers over the pumpkins were split with a knife and replanted on 6/1/92, with additional pumpkin and cucumber transplants. None of the transplants under the perforated covers showed any adverse effects from high temperatures. Soil temperatures at the 2 in level ranged from F to 15 F with a mean of 83 F. At the 3 in level soil temperatures ranged from F to 98 F with a mean of79 F, If solid row covers are used in Alaska they should be split at the top and ventilated. The width of the opening can be regulated by means of clothes pins or other types of clips. REFERENCE: * Purser, Jerry, Andrea Robb and Willy Welch "Producing Vegetables Using Infrared Transmitting Plastic Mulch and Perforated Row Covers". Demonstration & Research Report. Cooperative Extension Service, University of Alaska Fairbanks, pp