pepper variety performance in high tunnels · 2019-04-15 · 2/13/2019 1 1 pepper variety...

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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


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


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Blitz

Elongated shape

Weight ≈ 10.73 oz

Width ≈ 3.91”

Length ≈ 4.18”



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Chesapeake

Elongated shape

Weight ≈ 7.05 oz

Width ≈ 3.34”

Length ≈ 3.61”



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Delirio

Blocky

Weight ≈ 7.73 oz

Width ≈ 3.62”

Length ≈ 3.59”



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Flavorburst

Elongated shape

Weight ≈ 7.01 oz

Width ≈ 3.40”

Length ≈ 3.92”



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Marcato

Elongated shape

Weight ≈ 6.12 oz

Width ≈ 3.37”

Length ≈ 6.95”



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Red Knight

Blocky

Weight ≈ 9.38 oz

Width ≈ 3.75”

Length ≈ 4.53”



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Tequila

Elongated shape

Weight ≈ 5.34 oz

Width ≈ 2.97”

Length ≈ 3.70”



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Vanguard

Blocky

Weight ≈ 10.71 oz

Width ≈ 4.20”

Length ≈ 4.24”



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Zamboni

Elongated shape

Weight ≈ 8.80 oz

Width ≈ 3.56”

Length ≈ 3.78”



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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


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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

pepper variety performance in high tunnels · 2019-04-15 · 2/13/2019 1 1 pepper variety...

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