In issue 619 of the Vegetable Crops Hotline newsletter I reported that during April 2016 research focusing on the development of a unique market segment for Indiana melon growers was initiated. The research aims to demonstrate that through the use of high tunnels or greenhouses growers will be able to market melons earlier and increase yield while keeping quality undeniably high. Initial research focused on variety evaluation in a soil and soilless production system in high tunnels and a greenhouse, where the plants were trellised vertically. In the long term, we aim to establish the best production practices for high tunnel and greenhouse growers in Indiana and we will do a complete life cycle analysis to determine the profitability of the proposed production systems. Well it sounds all easy to do, but in reality I have experienced several production related issues during the growing season. Let me present to you[Read More…]
5 articles tagged "Artificial Soils and Hydroponics".
Indiana is a very important player in the domestic melon market. The total acreage planted in Indiana peaked in 1997 at 3,600 acres. In that year the total production was 455,000 cwt with an average income of $16.00 per cwt. The total farm value of production was $7,280,000 ($2,022 per acre). Yield has increased since 1997 from 130 cwt per acre to more than 200 cwt per acre in 2014. The Indiana melon growers have lost a significant share of the melon market since the 2011 and 2012 food borne illness outbreaks. Compared to 2011, the acreage planted and production in 2015 decreased by 900 acres and 52% (300,000 cwt), respectively. Quick Facts about Indiana Cantaloupe Transplant Production: March/April Planting Season: April – June Harvest Season: June – Sept. Plant Population (2.5 ft. x 6 ft.): 2,904 plants per acre Total acres planted: 2,100 acres (2013), 1,900 acres (2014), 1,800[Read More…]
In a previous article ‘Opportunities in Hydroponics’ (VCH 609) we discussed two types of Hydroponics, solution culture and medium culture. In this article we will focus on Growth Substrates (media), which form an integral part of medium culture. Growth substrates can be divided into two groups, organic and inorganic media. Inorganic media can be further divided into natural and synthetic. Media included under inorganic and natural are sand, gravel, rockwool, perlite, vermiculite, pumice, expanded clay aggregate, zeolite and volcanic tuff. Inorganic and synthetic media includes foam mats (polyurethane) polystyrene foam, oasis (plastic foam), hydrogel, and Biostrate felt®. Included under organic media is pine sawdust, pine bark, wood chips, peat moss, coconut coir, and rice hulls. The number of substrates available are not limited to this list. Using growth substrates instead of soil gives the grower several advantages: No need for arable land. Soilless growing media (substrates) is lightweight and can[Read More…]
Travelling through Indiana last summer, I realized that many growers plant their crops in soil inside their high tunnels or greenhouses. Soilless production offers different benefits and challenges. This is the first article in a series focusing on soilless crop production in high tunnels and greenhouses. Today we are discussing Hydroponics. What is Hydroponics? The word hydroponics technically means ‘working water’, derived from the Latin words “hydro” meaning water and “ponos” meaning labor. Hydroponics is a method to grow plants using a mineral nutrient solution, in water and without soil. Two types of hydroponics are commonly found: a) solution culture, and b) medium culture. Solution culture types include continuous flow solution culture (Nutrient Film Technique) and Aeroponics. Medium culture types include ebb and flow sub-irrigation, run to waste, deep water culture and passive sub-irrigation systems. History. The first research published on the production of spearmint in water was conducted by[Read More…]
In March 2015 the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture appointed Dr. Petrus Langenhoven as Horticulture and Hydroponics Crop Specialist. During the past 18 years Dr. Petrus Langenhoven has dedicated his career to the development of the horticulture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. His career started off at the Agricultural Research Council in Stellenbosch, South Africa. He completed his M.S in Agronomy at Stellenbosch University while working at the Agricultural Research Council. He completed his PhD in Agronomy specializing in vegetable production in high tunnels at Stellenbosch University, South Africa in 2004. He advanced his career at a non-governmental organization, Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP). As operations director and senior agronomist he led ASNAPP’s greenhouse crop production and specialty fresh market vegetable and herb crop research and technology transfer programs. He specialized in the analysis and development of horticulture supply chains. He has extensive experience in applied on-farm[Read More…]