outdoors and in high tunnels

Plasticulture Production of Tomatoes in

Ohio – Outdoors and in High TunnelsBrad Bergefurd

Horticulture Specialist & Extension Educator

Piketon Research & Extension Center

Scioto County Extension

The Ohio State University Extension/OARDC

OHIO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Thanks for the good game Sunday!!

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OHIO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

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Location of ProductionFresh market tomatoes are grown throughout Ohio

Concentrated pockets exist in the south(Washington,

Meigs, Pike, Ross Counties) and northwest regions of

the state.

Processing grown in NW counties (Putnam, Wood,

Fulton and Sandusky) and western (Darke) Ohio.

One of the most economically

important vegetables grown in Ohio.

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Reduced processing tomato acreage early 1990’s

Heinz

plant in

Fremont cut

acreage

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Ohio Tomato Production 2014

Fresh Market

Ohio is in top 6 states

3,700 acres in 2014

Cherry, grape,

tomatillo, greenhouse

and fresh market

47,700 ton total

production

Avg. yield 13.25 ton/Ac

Value $34,916,000

Processing

4,700 acres in 2014

Paste, whole pack

154,000 ton total

production

Avg. yield 35 ton/Ac.

Value $17,094,000

USDA Ag statistics 2015

Quality Fruit = $

High costs ~$20k/Ac.

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Site selection is very important

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Site selection is VERY important

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Herbicide Drift Injury is a major issue for Ohio

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$100,000’s in losses from herbicide drift

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ODA Sensitive Crops Registry

http://www.agri.ohio.gov/scr

/

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Crop rotation and proper soil preparation

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Pre-bed soil fertility according to soil analysis

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Pre bedding with multi-row sled bedder

Fall preferred or spring

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Pre-bedding with single row sled bedder

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Power bedding pre-plant

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Raised beds, plastic mulch, drip irrigation

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Laying plastic mulch and drip irrigation

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Plastic laid 2 to 4 weeks advance of planting

preferred

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Raised beds help drainage on all soil types

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Success begins with

high quality disease

free transplants

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Tomato Seedlings on Capillary Mats

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Grafted plants are being

adopted for high tunnel

and small acreage farms

with short crop rotations

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Water wheel

transplanters single

or multi-bed

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Frost Protection is Required- hot caps

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April 28 spun bond row cover protection

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Low Tunnels

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Staking and Tying Florida Weave System

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dslv8-ver%26p%3DfLORIDA%20wEAVE%20tOMATO%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=237&h=198&imgurl=www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/images/weave_C.jpg&rurl=http://www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/weave.html&size=9.0kB&name=weave_C.jpg&p=fLORIDA+wEAVE+tOMATO&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=4&oid=e31c6d2bada77ddc&ei=UTF-8

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dslv8-ver%26p%3DfLORIDA%20wEAVE%20tOMATO%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=237&h=198&imgurl=www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/images/weave_C.jpg&rurl=http://www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/weave.html&size=9.0kB&name=weave_C.jpg&p=fLORIDA+wEAVE+tOMATO&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=4&oid=e31c6d2bada77ddc&ei=UTF-8

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dslv8-ver%26p%3DfLORIDA%20wEAVE%20tOMATO%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=237&h=198&imgurl=www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/images/weave_B.jpg&rurl=http://www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/weave.html&size=8.8kB&name=weave_B.jpg&p=fLORIDA+wEAVE+tOMATO&type=jpeg&no=3&tt=4&oid=365654648f3f2d22&ei=UTF-8

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dslv8-ver%26p%3DfLORIDA%20wEAVE%20tOMATO%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=237&h=198&imgurl=www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/images/weave_B.jpg&rurl=http://www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/weave.html&size=8.8kB&name=weave_B.jpg&p=fLORIDA+wEAVE+tOMATO&type=jpeg&no=3&tt=4&oid=365654648f3f2d22&ei=UTF-8

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Fiberglass stakes gaining in popularity

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Frequent scouting and spray applications are

required

IrrigationRegular

Often

Manage amountsPhoto by Steve Groff

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Drip applied in and between row (feeder roots)

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Tunnel & Greenhouse Production on IncreaseNew 175 acre greenhouse tomato operation in Delta, OH

(Fulton County).

Nature Fresh Farms

First harvest to begin in February 2016

Year around production

Our High Tunnel Experience in

Ohio• High Tunnel Research began at Piketon in

1994

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String training from purlins in tunnels

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Many Sizes of High Tunnels 30x96 most

popular

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Haygrove

Tunnels

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Converted bedding plant houses

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Modified

High Tunnels

(Heat)

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Dual drip tape gaining in popularityn

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Drop down curtains

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Straw used as

Mulching material

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Sclerotinia stem

Rot from lack of

crop rotation

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April 27 Bag Culture Tomato

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Fruit harvested mature green for shipping

and breaker stage for direct sales

FertigationRegular

Often

Adjust throughout

season through weekly plant analysis

Fertigate at end of irrigation

cycle

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*Physiological Disorder

*Discolored yellow or green regions under the fruit peel that show through

*YSD affects both the appearance and nutritional value of tomatoes.

*Physiological nature: Altered ripening not delayed ripening, green tissue fails to develop into red tissue, Delaying harvest will not help!

*Scientists believe there are several causal factors for YSD:

environment (specifically, high temperature

>90°F),nutrition, genotype (cultivar) and virus.

•

Yellow Shoulder Disorder

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*The cause of the yellow shoulder disorder in tomato fruit

has baffled scientists for the last 30 years.

*The interaction of these factors under field conditions is

very difficult to evaluate.

*Can be triggered by insufficient exchangeable K+, excess

magnesium in relation to calcium, and soil pH above 6.7

*Tissue analysis at first flower initiation is extremely

important in preventing YSD once fruit is hanging and

damaged it will not improve.

Yellow Shoulder

Disorder

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Full research reports, assistance and

production information

Brad BergefurdHorticulture Specialist Piketon Research & Extension Center1864 Shyville RoadPiketon, Ohio 45661

1-800-860-7232 ext 136

[email protected]

www.southcenters.osu.edu

For variety

reviews and

more,

http://vegnet.os

u.edu/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.southcenters.osu.edu/

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