High Tunnel Technology Start-up costs Structure costs (frame, side boards, roll-up parts and side walls) Construction Labor Plastic (cover for tunnel and plastic for rows) Trickle Irrigation System Total Start Up Costs Annual Costs Plants Stakes and string Fertilizer Containers Labor Misc. (small tools, repairs, etc) Total Annual Costs Annual Returns and Expenses Per Tunnel Per Pound Receipts 2,000 lbs. @ $1.60/lb $3,200 00 $1.60 Marketing Costs $ 800.00 $ .40 Total Annual Costs $ 665.80 $ 33 Net Annual Returns $1,734.20 $ .87 As with all agriculture, the available mar ket is one of the largest factors to be consid ered. In some more urban areas, retail toma toes start at $2.40 per pound. Report On Other Crops The other trials conducted in the high tun nel were largely successful as well. Cantaloupe and watermelon were planted in Get powerful cutworm control that works fast and lasts. WARRIOR® T insecticide with ZEON™ technology delivers the most effective, longest-lasting cutworm control available. Applied '' preplant or preemergence, WARRIOR T stops cutworms before they start - and keeps them stopped. So your corn grows strong all season long. For more information, see your retailer, call our mnAM jDD X ’ hotline at 800-759-2500 or visit our web site at ▼ ▼ ▼ T H zenecaagproducts.com. $1,090.62 $ 256.00 $ 266.89 $ 85.00 $1,698 51 $ 28.80 $ 63.00 $ 25 00 $ 110.00 $ 414.00 $ 25.00 $ 665.80 the other house on May 9. The objective for the cantaloupe was to harvest them as early as possible in order to again capture the early market. The variety of cantaloupe tested was Earligold, a variety with 68 days until har vest. The first harvest was made on July 8 but the numbers did not increase until a week later. In spite of their relatively small size, they sold for $2.50 each because of their earli ness. One deficiency observed was that they did not have the taste that later melons devel op. Two different varieties of watermelons were tried: Golden Crown and Million Bucks. Golden Crown is a small round melon, yellow on the outside and red on the inside. They have excellent taste and are very early with only 60 days until harvest. These melons also sold for $2.50 each and are very popular at the farmer’s market. They were first harvest ed on July 9. The other variety of watermelon, Million Bucks, is a large traditional melon. They possess good size and flavor. Million Bucks was first harvested on July 30 and they take 78 days until harvest. They sold for 30 cents per pound. The problem with both watermelon varieties was low yield. This pos sibly could be due to a lack of effective polli nation; however, the cantaloupe in the same house yielded very well. Another experiment was to plant three plants of a patio tomato to observe how they would yield. The variety was called Fourth of July and had 44 days until harvest. The first EVERYTHING ELSE It JUST AN INSECTICIDE harvest of Fourth of July was on July 19, two days after the first harvest of Bush Early Girl, so they were extremely late. Their yields were excellent. Gurney’s Giant, the variety of pepper grown, is a large thick-fleshed pepper. They did very well in the high tunnel and produced large, excellent quality peppers. They have 70 days until harvest with the first harvest on July 5. One problem with growing peppers in the high tunnel is that the plants grew so large that they had to be staked so that they did not fall over. Variety 3/27 Million Bucks Golden Crown 3/27 Earhgold 3/27 3/27 4th of July Gurney’s Giant 3/25 The final analysis of this year’s trials indicate that some changes should be implemented for the small scale grower. The melon house should be planted com pletely in high value muskmelons because watermelon do not seem to pro duce the level of yields required to make them worth the space implemented for the small scale grower. The melon house should be planted com pletely in high value muskmelons because watermelon do not seem to pro duce the level of yields required to make them worth the space. That space could be better utilized to grow something else more profitable. Additionally, there is excessive room for making mistakes when harvesting watermelon. In the high tunnel there was no way of knowing just how much the additional night heat sped up the watermelon’s maturing process with the result that the days until harvest did not indicate clear ly as to when to expect ripening. As you can see by the chart comparing the days until harvest, the peppers taking 70 days were harvested 14 days early. This was typical for many of the crops in these tri als. It is difficult to determine how differ ent species of plants are going to react to high tunnel growing conditions. Watermelons are especially hard because they do not offer a reliable way to discern harvestability. This year many mistakes were made wasting melons by taking them underripe. High tunnels are an excellent way to get the edge of the early or late markets for vegetables. They can be very prof itable and therefore a good supplement to a small farm’s income. Another way to use a tunnel is to take advantage of the early start and grow several consecu tive crops of vegetables in the same sea- son Period Extended For Proposals WASHINGTON, D.C. The USDA is extending the submission period for propos als for a national sheep and lamb promotion, research, and information order from Dec. 23 to Feb. 1, 2000. An order is authorized by and must be con sistent with the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996. Prop osals for an order or for portions of an order may be submitted by any interested person, group, or organization. Kathleen A. Merrigan, administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, said an order would provide for assessments on sales of sheep and lambs and for an industry board to cany out promotion, research, and information programs designed to increase the demand for sheep and lamb. The request for proposals for a sheep and lamb promotion, research, and information order was published in the Nov. 23, Federal Register. Responses should be sent in dupli cate to Ralph L. Tapp, Chief, Marketing Prog rams Brandi, Room 2627-S, Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Indepen dence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456, to be received no later than Feb. 1. For additional information, call (202) Days Until First Harvest Harvest 78 7/30 Planted Conclusion 7/19
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