Effect of Soil Mulches and Herbicides on Production Economics of Warm Season Vegetable Crops in a Cool Climate

Waterer, D.

doi:10.21273/horttech.10.1.154

Cited by 24 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Production of warm-season crops such as melons, peppers and tomatoes is particularly difficult unless means are employed to improve the growing conditions. Plasticulture involves using plastic soil mulches and crop covers to improve the microclimate surrounding the crop, thereby enhancing earliness, improving yields and increasing profitability (Waterer, 1992(Waterer, , 2000Wells and Loy, 1985;Wittwer and Castilla, 1995). At present, low tunnels represent the standard method for using plastics to enhance the growth of most vegetable crops (Wells and Loy, 1993).…”

Section: Summary Crop Development Rates Yields and Production Economentioning

confidence: 99%

Yields and Economics of High Tunnels for Production of Warm-season Vegetable Crops

Waterer¹

2003

horttech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Crop development rates, yields and production economics for muskmelon (Cucumis melo), pepper (Capsicum annuum) and tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) grown in high tunnels [4.3 m wid × 2.5 m high × 29 m long (14 × 8 × 96 ft)] were compared to standard low tunnels over several cropping seasons in a temperate production area. The polyethylene-covered high tunnels protect several rows of crop for the duration of the cropping season. Air temperatures in the high tunnels were controlled by raising the sides of the tunnel. Low tunnels cover only a single row and must be removed soon after the crop is established to prevent overcrowding or overheating. When the low tunnels were in place, rates of accumulation of growing-degree days (GDDs) and early crop growth were comparable in the two tunnel systems. However, once the low tunnels were removed, the accumulation of GDDs in the high tunnels exceeded the standard system. The crops in the high tunnels matured 1 to 2 weeks earlier and produced substantially greater fruit yields before frost than in the low tunnel treatments. The high tunnels provided little frost protection and were of limited utility for extension of the growing season. The high tunnels were much more costly to purchase and construct than the low tunnels but were durable enough to be used for multiple cropping seasons. Based on wholesale commodity prices, it would take 2 to 5 years for the enhanced gross returns obtained with the high tunnels to cover their higher capital costs.

show abstract

Section: Summary Crop Development Rates Yields and Production Economentioning

confidence: 99%

Yields and Economics of High Tunnels for Production of Warm-season Vegetable Crops

Waterer¹

2003

horttech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The use of polyethylene plastic mulch on raised beds is a common practice in the production of high value vegetable crops (Waterer 2000). In Florida, growers use black for winter and spring seasons to increase soil temperature and white-on-black mulch in the Autumn to reduce soil temperature (Zitter and Simons 1980).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of living (buckwheat) and UV reflective mulches with and without imidacloprid on whiteflies, aphids and marketable yields of zucchini squash

Nyoike

Liburd

2009

International Journal of Pest Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The silverleaf whitefly, B biotype of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius also known as B. argentifolii Bellows and Perring, and the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, are key pests of zucchini squash in Florida. The use of mulches, living or synthetic, is one of the tactics that could be used to suppress whitefly and aphid populations and their associated transmitted viruses. Buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench -a living mulch, and a synthetic, UV reflective mulch, were evaluated alone or in combination with a reduced-risk insecticide, imidacloprid Admire 1 2F in two field experiments carried out during the Autumn of 2005 and 2006. Four 80-m 2 plots were used for each treatment with standard white mulch as a control in a randomized complete block design. Imidacloprid was applied at planting and buckwheat mulch was planted approximately 2 weeks before the squash was seeded. Addition of imidacloprid to the mulches significantly reduced the number of whiteflies and apterous aphids in 2005 but not in 2006. In 2005, there were treatment differences on natural enemies' abundances where more natural enemies were recorded within buckwheat mulch than reflective mulch. Squash within synthetic mulches resulted in significantly higher yields than those grown with living mulch. We conclude that imidacloprid can be used with the mulches to manage whiteflies and aphids in zucchini squash when the pest populations are high, but this may not necessarily translate in economic benefits in terms of yields.

show abstract

“…Vegetable growers routinely use the same plastic mulch to grow more than one crop (Hanna, 2000a(Hanna, , 2000bHanna et al, 1993). Double cropping reduces grower expenses for mulch and drip irrigation equipment while also reducing the amount of plastic waste (Hanna 2000a(Hanna , 2000bMugalla et al, 1996;Waterer, 2000). In climates with long growing seasons, fall crops can be planted into existing plastic mulched beds after the spring crops are removed (Hanna, 2000a(Hanna, , 2000bHanna et al, 1993).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the Physical, Optical, and Thermal Properties of Polyethylene Mulches during Double Cropping

Ngouajio¹,

Ernest²

2005

HortSci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In temperate regions, the vegetable growing season is short and plastic mulches are usually left in the field for an entire year when used for double cropping. This work was conducted to study the effect of weathering on the physical, optical, and thermal properties of plastic mulches during double cropping. The design was a randomized complete block with four replications. The mulches were black, grey, infrared transmitting brown (IRT-brown), IRT-green, white, and white-on-black (co-extruded white/black). Tomato was grown the first year and cucumber the following year. The grey mulch degraded substantially during double cropping (only 40% of bed was covered the second year) and showed an increase in light transmission and a decrease in heat accumulation (degree-days). The black, whiteon-black, white, IRT-brown, and IRT green mulches showed less degradation with 93%, 91%, 85%, 75%, and 61% soil cover, respectively. However, their soil warming ability was significantly reduced. These mulches could be used for double cropping to suppress weeds and to reduce inputs associated with plastic purchase, laying, and disposal. However, they may not provide adequate soil warming early in the season for the second crop.

show abstract

Effect of Soil Mulches and Herbicides on Production Economics of Warm Season Vegetable Crops in a Cool Climate

Cited by 24 publications

References 4 publications

Yields and Economics of High Tunnels for Production of Warm-season Vegetable Crops

Yields and Economics of High Tunnels for Production of Warm-season Vegetable Crops

Effect of living (buckwheat) and UV reflective mulches with and without imidacloprid on whiteflies, aphids and marketable yields of zucchini squash

Changes in the Physical, Optical, and Thermal Properties of Polyethylene Mulches during Double Cropping

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About