Class
Article
College
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Larry Rupp
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Small farms are using high tunnels to expand their production season for high value crops such as fruits and vegetables. Cut flowers are one potential high value crop that hasn’t been fully explored for Utah, partly due to a lack of region-specific information. My research objective is to develop appropriate management strategies for two representative annual cut flower crops (snapdragon and sweet pea). Replicated plots of ‘Rocket’ snapdragon, and the sweet pea cultivars ‘Mammoth’, ‘Elegance’, ‘Royal’, and ‘Spencer’ were planted in high tunnels in early April-May, and in field plantings later in May. Stems were harvested 3 days per week and evaluated for yield (stem number), marketable stems, and length of harvest season. Results indicate an increase in quality and stem length of snapdragons grown in high tunnels, compared to the field. Sweet peas have shown increased quality when grown during cooler months in high tunnels. This research will provide Utah producers with crucial production guidelines for cool season annuals in order to extend the growing season and take advantage of local high value markets.
Location
The North Atrium
Start Date
4-12-2018 10:30 AM
End Date
4-12-2018 11:45 AM
High Tunnel Production of Annual Cut Flowers
The North Atrium
Small farms are using high tunnels to expand their production season for high value crops such as fruits and vegetables. Cut flowers are one potential high value crop that hasn’t been fully explored for Utah, partly due to a lack of region-specific information. My research objective is to develop appropriate management strategies for two representative annual cut flower crops (snapdragon and sweet pea). Replicated plots of ‘Rocket’ snapdragon, and the sweet pea cultivars ‘Mammoth’, ‘Elegance’, ‘Royal’, and ‘Spencer’ were planted in high tunnels in early April-May, and in field plantings later in May. Stems were harvested 3 days per week and evaluated for yield (stem number), marketable stems, and length of harvest season. Results indicate an increase in quality and stem length of snapdragons grown in high tunnels, compared to the field. Sweet peas have shown increased quality when grown during cooler months in high tunnels. This research will provide Utah producers with crucial production guidelines for cool season annuals in order to extend the growing season and take advantage of local high value markets.