Relationship of Strawberry Yield with Microclimate Factors in Open and Covered Raised-Bed Production

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 1511-1525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Condori ◽  
David H. Fleisher ◽  
Kimberly S. Lewers

Abstract. Supply for the fresh strawberry (× Duchesne ex Rozier) market in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region is frequently supplemented by product grown in states outside the region. The adoption of repeat-fruiting cultivars specially bred for this area can benefit local and regional growers, but production systems suited to meet the cultural needs of these varieties must be evaluated. The relationships between yields from five repeat-fruiting cultivars grown in either uncovered (open) or plastic-covered (tunnel) raised-bed systems and associated microclimate factors were assessed from data collected over a three-year period at the USDA-ARS facility in Beltsville, Maryland. Average in-season yields were 40% higher and berry numbers were 150% higher for production in tunnel versus open systems when averaged across all cultivars, years, and harvests. This yield difference was attributed to warmer temperatures in the tunnel system that enabled extension of the growing season, higher weekly yields, and higher light use efficiency. Temperature and solar radiation accounted for more than 41% of the variance between yield and all measured microclimatic factors. Maximum 24 h temperatures averaged 3.5°C, 1.6°C, and 0.8°C higher, respectively, at the air (Ta), crown (Tc), and bed (Tb) positions in the tunnel system, and daily photosynthetically active radiation was 34% lower in the tunnel system. A four-week period between floral initiation and fruit maturity was estimated as representative of the floral development period and was used as a basis for obtaining cardinal temperatures. The optimum temperature averaged 26.8°C, 28.6°C, and 27.9°C at Ta, Tc, and Tb, respectively. Yields were positively correlated with daily light integral at temperatures below these thresholds, and higher slopes from the relationship of yield versus light were observed for tunnel production. Predicted yields using the beta function were shown to match observed values well in either production system, especially when Tc data were used, and can be used for production system design and management. Keywords: Modeling, Plastic tunnels, Solar radiation, Strawberries, Temperature, Yields.

Author(s):  
Meric S. Gertler

With the shifting nature of capitalist competition in recent years, many have argued that systems of innovation and production have become more social in nature. This assertion has two distinct but related components. First, production systems are coming to be characterized by a more finely articulated social division of labour, achieved through the process of vertical disintegration of large firms and the growing use of various forms of outsourcing, including subcontracting to smaller supplier firms. This externalization of the production process is said to offer the chief advantage of agility in meeting the needs of ever more rapidly changing and fragmented markets. As market demands shift qualitatively, producers are able to respond more effectively in such ‘open’ systems because they can more readily absorb the innovative ideas of supplier firms to help them devise new products and improvements, and because they can rework their sources of supply to match the particular attributes of the ‘product of the moment’, in both cases drawing upon the rich resources of a large collection of suppliers. The second component is that, as individual firms come to rely more heavily on their relations and exchanges with other firms, non-market forms of interaction become more important. Viewed in terms of the Williamsonian continuum between public markets and private hierarchies, much of the interesting action is seen to be taking place in the middle ground: relations are social, but are increasingly buttressed by trust. In particular, as Harrison (1992) pointed out in a classic essay, for these innovative production systems to function properly, firms must develop a considerable degree of interdependence on one another (including surrendering proprietary information) but will only do so when a relationship of trust has been established. Such relations are more likely to arise when firms interact with one another directly and repeatedly over time, as they will tend to do when they are located in the same region (see Crewe 1996). However, as sociologists such as Granovetter (1985) have pointed out, this interaction takes place through informal as well as formal mechanisms, and is reinforced by shared histories and cultures.


HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 510-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina Vescera ◽  
Rebecca Nelson Brown

Muskmelons (Cucumis melo L.) are routinely grown on black plastic mulch, as the associated increase in soil temperatures, more stable soil moisture, and decreased weed competition result in higher yields than in bare soil production. However, mulch does little to moderate air temperature, which can be below optimum for melon production under New England conditions. One option for increasing air temperature is to grow plants in unheated hoophouses, or high tunnels. Another option is to use low tunnels consisting of ventilated clear plastic rowcovers supported over wire hoops. This study compared low tunnels and high tunnels to open field production for muskmelon production in a peri-urban market farm system in Rhode Island. Five hybrid muskmelon cultivars were grown for 2 years to compare earliness, yield, and fruit quality among the three production systems. Both tunnel systems increased the rate at which growing degree-days (GDD) accumulated relative to open field production, and resulted in statistically significant differences in starting date of first harvest, with fruit in the high tunnel treatment ripening first. The high tunnel production system increased yields per hectare in both years relative to the other production systems due to increased planting density, but not due to increased yields per plant. Marketable yields per hectare from the high tunnel system significantly exceeded those from the open field for four out of the five cultivars in 2011, but for only one out of five cultivars in 2012. Marketable yields from the low tunnel system were ≈10% higher than the open field in 2011, and almost double the open field yields in 2012. Fruit from the low tunnels had the highest concentration of soluble solids in both years. The high tunnel production system did not increase yields sufficiently to offset the associated increase in costs of production, suggesting that muskmelon is not a good crop for high tunnel production in New England. In contrast, a yield increase of only 15% would be sufficient to offset the increased costs of employing the low tunnel production system. Low tunnels have the potential to greatly benefit muskmelon production in New England, particularly in years or locations where GDD accumulate slowly.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Germán Rodríguez ◽  
Jennie Popp ◽  
Michael Thomsen ◽  
Heather Friedrich ◽  
Curt R. Rom

Extending the production season of blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus) cultivars allows producers the opportunity to potentially receive better prices. Producers could benefit from out-of-season production by sustaining cash flow during more of the year and thereby expanding their market. The objective of this study was to compare the present value (PV) probabilities of being able to cover the total cost (TC) of production (break-even) for open-field and high tunnel production systems for the primocane-fruiting blackberry cultivar Prime-Jan® in northwestern Arkansas. (PVs) of gross revenues (GRs) of each production system were simulated 500 times. Total yields were higher in the open-field system in the first 2 years of production and consistently higher in weeks 33 to 34 and 36 to 37 than high tunnel production. It seems that there are no yield benefits from the high tunnel system early in the harvest season, except in the first year of primocane-fruiting production. The break-even probability was sensitive to the different percentage of yield sold, the percentage of the retail price received by the producer, and the production system analyzed. Even though the potential gross returns obtained with the high tunnel system are high (when compared with open-field production), the PV distributions of the gross returns do not offset the high tunnel TC in half of the simulations. Conversely, open-field production proves to be more profitable both in magnitude and in terms of the likelihood of exceeding the break-even threshold over the productive life of the enterprise.


1970 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 80-96
Author(s):  
Mayara Motta Melo ◽  
Clarissa Santos de Carvalho Ribeiro

RESUMOA incidência do câncer de pele vem aumentando a cada ano. Sabe-se que entre outros fatores, a radiação solar é a principal responsável pelo desenvolvimento dessa patologia. A prevenção, feita através da fotoproteção, teria grande impacto nesse cenário. No entanto, as orientações sobre como se proteger dos malefícios do sol devem ser coerentes com a incidência solar da região, os hábitos da população e o fototipo da pele. Os conceitos sobre fotoproteção foram definidos por entidades européias e norte americanas e não devem ser reproduzidos para o Brasil de forma aleatória, pois a incidência solar no Brasil é muito maior, a população tem fototipos diferentes e o hábito de se expor ao sol é muito mais frequente. Portanto, faz-se necessário elaborar conceitos próprios para o Brasil e conscientizar a população sobre os perigos da radiação solar para que a incidência do câncer de pele reduza definitivamente. Essa revisão visa mostrar a relação da radiação solar no Brasil com a pele dos brasileiros e evidenciar a importância da fotoproteção para essa população. Para isso foi feito um levantamento de artigos originais, revisões de literatura, consensos brasileiros e internacionais e livros de dermatologia.Palavras-chave: Fotoproteção, Câncer de pele, Exposição solar, Radiação ultravioleta, Vitamina D. ABSTRACTThe incidence of skin cancer is increasing every year. It is known that among other factors, solar radiation is the main responsible for the development of this pathology. Prevention, made by photoprotection, would have great impact in this scenario. However, the guidelines on how to protect themselves from the sun's harmful effects should be consistent with the sunlight of the region, the habits of the population and the phototype skin. The concepts of photoprotection were defined by European and North American entities and should not be played for Brazil at random, as the solar incidence in Brazil is much higher, people have different skin types and the habit of sun exposure is much more frequent. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up own concepts for Brazil and raise awareness about the dangers of solar radiation, so that the incidence of skin cancer can be definitely reduced. This review aims to show the relationship of solar radiation in Brazil with the skin of Brazilian and to highlight the importance of sun protection for this population. With this purpose, it was  made a survey of original articles, literature reviews , Brazilian and international consensus and dermatology books.Keywords: Photoprotection, Skin cancer, Sun exposure, Ultraviolet radiation, D vitamin.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1152
Author(s):  
Rebekah Waller ◽  
Murat Kacira ◽  
Esther Magadley ◽  
Meir Teitel ◽  
Ibrahim Yehia

Recognizing the growing interest in the application of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with greenhouse crop production systems, in this study we used flexible, roll-to-roll printed, semi-transparent OPV arrays as a roof shade for a greenhouse hydroponic tomato production system during a spring and summer production season in the arid southwestern U.S. The wavelength-selective OPV arrays were installed in a contiguous area on a section of the greenhouse roof, decreasing the transmittance of all solar radiation wavelengths and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) wavelengths (400–700 nm) to the OPV-shaded area by approximately 40% and 37%, respectively. Microclimate conditions and tomato crop growth and yield parameters were measured in both the OPV-shaded (‘OPV’) and non-OPV-shaded (‘Control’) sections of the greenhouse. The OPV shade stabilized the canopy temperature during midday periods with the highest solar radiation intensities, performing the function of a conventional shading method. Although delayed fruit development and ripening in the OPV section resulted in lower total yields compared to the Control section (24.6 kg m−2 and 27.7 kg m−2, respectively), after the fourth (of 10 total) harvests, the average weekly yield, fruit number, and fruit mass were not significantly different between the treatment (OPV-shaded) and control group. Light use efficiency (LUE), defined as the ratio of total fruit yield to accumulated PAR received by the plant canopy, was nearly twice as high as the Control section, with 21.4 g of fruit per mole of PAR for plants in the OPV-covered section compared to 10.1 g in the Control section. Overall, this study demonstrated that the use of semi-transparent OPVs as a seasonal shade element for greenhouse production in a high-light region is feasible. However, a higher transmission of PAR and greater OPV device efficiency and durability could make OPV shades more economically viable, providing a desirable solution for co-located greenhouse crop production and renewable energy generation in hot and high-light intensity regions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-172
Author(s):  
Shankar G. Shanmugam ◽  
Normie W. Buehring ◽  
Jon D. Prevost ◽  
William L. Kingery

Our understanding on the effects of tillage intensity on the soil microbial community structure and composition in crop production systems are limited. This study evaluated the soil microbial community composition and diversity under different tillage management systems in an effort to identify management practices that effectively support sustainable agriculture. We report results from a three-year study to determine the effects on changes in soil microbial diversity and composition from four tillage intensity treatments and two residue management treatments in a corn-soybean production system using Illumina high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Soil samples were collected from tillage treatments at locations in the Southern Coastal Plain (Verona, Mississippi, USA) and Southern Mississippi River Alluvium (Stoneville, Mississippi, USA) for soil analysis and bacterial community characterization. Our results indicated that different tillage intensity treatments differentially changed the relative abundances of bacterial phyla. The Mantel test of correlations indicated that differences among bacterial community composition were significantly influenced by tillage regime (rM = 0.39, p ≤ 0.0001). Simpson’s reciprocal diversity index indicated greater bacterial diversity with reduction in tillage intensity for each year and study location. For both study sites, differences in tillage intensity had significant influence on the abundance of Proteobacteria. The shift in the soil bacterial community composition under different tillage systems was strongly correlated to changes in labile carbon pool in the system and how it affected the microbial metabolism. This study indicates that soil management through tillage intensity regime had a profound influence on diversity and composition of soil bacterial communities in a corn-soybean production system.


1992 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Gunadi ◽  
M. J. Potts ◽  
R. Sinung-Basuki ◽  
Greta A. Watson

SummaryThree seasons of on-farm experimentation to develop potato production from botanical or true potato seed (TPS) under cool fertile conditions in West Java, Indonesia, are described. Twenty-three farmers experimented with two production systems: use of transplants, and use of seedling tubers produced in nursery beds. There was little yield difference between the systems, but an apparent progeny × system × season interaction was observed. All progenies were more resistant to late blight than the present cultivars grown from tubers. Appropriate matching of progeny and system gave seed of comparable quality with, but total yields slightly less than, certified imported seed of cv. Granola. Ware quality was slightly better than that of cv. Granola. Production costs were markedly less than for a tuber crop, making TPS ideal for small, resource-poor farmers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1036 ◽  
pp. 864-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Zemczak ◽  
Damian Krenczyk

The paper presents the task scheduling issue, which main aim is to establish a proper sequence of tasks, that would maximize the utilization of companys production capacity. According to the literature sources, the presented sequencing problem, denoted as CSP (Car Sequencing Problem) belongs to the NP-hard class, as has been proven by simple reduction from Hamiltonians Path problem. Optimal method of solution has not yet been found, only approximate solutions have been offered, especially from the range of evolutionary algorithms. Regardless of specific production system, while considering reception of new tasks into the system, current review of the state of the system is required in order to decide whether and when a new order can be accepted for execution. In this paper, the problem of task scheduling is limited to the specific existing mixed-model production system. The main goal is to determine the effective method of creation of task sequence. Through the use of computational algorithms, and automatic analysis of the resulting sequence, rates of production are able to be checked in a real time, and so improvements can be proposed and implemented.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 60-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sławomir Kłos ◽  
Peter Trebuna

Abstract This paper proposes the application of computer simulation methods to support decision making regarding intermediate buffer allocations in a series-parallel production line. The simulation model of the production system is based on a real example of a manufacturing company working in the automotive industry. Simulation experiments were conducted for different allocations of buffer capacities and different numbers of employees. The production system consists of three technological operations with intermediate buffers between each operation. The technological operations are carried out using machines and every machine can be operated by one worker. Multi-work in the production system is available (one operator operates several machines). On the basis of the simulation experiments, the relationship between system throughput, buffer allocation and the number of employees is analyzed. Increasing the buffer capacity results in an increase in the average product lifespan. Therefore, in the article a new index is proposed that includes the throughput of the manufacturing system and product life span. Simulation experiments were performed for different configurations of technological operations.


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