scholarly journals Horticultural Crop Production in High Tunnels in the United States: A Snapshot

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward E. Carey ◽  
Lewis Jett ◽  
William J. Lamont ◽  
Terrance T. Nennich ◽  
Michael D. Orzolek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cut Flower ◽  
Horticultural Crop ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
High Tunnels

High tunnels are becoming an increasingly important production tool for vegetable, small fruit, and cut flower growers in many parts of the United States. They provide a protected environment relative to the open field, allowing for earlier or later production of many crops, and they typically improve yield and quality as well as disease and pest management. Producers, ranging from small-scale market gardens to larger scale farms, are using high tunnels of various forms to produce for early markets, schedule production through extended seasons, grow specialty crops that require some environmental modification, and capture premium prices. The rapid ongoing adoption of high tunnels has resulted in numerous grower innovations and increased university research and extension programming to serve grower needs. An informal survey of extension specialists was conducted in 2007 to estimate numbers (area) of high tunnels and crops being grown in them by state, and to identify current research and extension efforts. Results of this survey provide an indication of the increasing importance of these structures for horticultural crop production across the country.

scholarly journals Small Fruit Production in High Tunnels

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Demchak
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Rubus Idaeus ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Red Raspberry ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
High Tunnels ◽  
Berry Crops

High tunnels are a relatively economical form of protected culture, and offer cultural advantages such as protection from the elements and an extended production season. Interest in high tunnels for small fruit production has been increasing in North America. Growers in the United States and Canada are using multi-bay and single-bay high tunnels for production of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis), blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus), strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa), and blueberry (Vaccinium spp.). Research trials using high tunnels are being conducted in numerous places across the United States. In most instances, high tunnels increased yields of berry crops, improved quality, and decreased the incidence of most diseases compared with field production, powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) being a notable exception. The insect and mite complex encountered in tunnels when growing berry crops has changed markedly, often becoming similar to that which might have been expected in greenhouses, with numbers of two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), whitefly (Aleyrodidae), and thrips (Frankliniella spp.) reaching high levels without control measures. In studies at The Pennsylvania State University, primocane-bearing cultivars of red raspberry plants produced at least two to three times as much marketable fruit in tunnels as in a previous field study, with substantial summer and fall crops obtained. ‘Triple Crown’ thornless blackberry produced very high marketable yields in the tunnels, even though winter injury historically resulted in a lack of blackberry production in the field. Strawberry production in a plasticulture system using short-day or day-neutral cultivars was found to be viable; however, the primary benefit of high tunnels for strawberry may have been reliability of production rather than a yield increase. Potential reasons for improvements in productivity and quality are numerous and warrant further attention.

Overview of the Use of High Tunnels Worldwide

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Lamont
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Tunnel ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Horticultural Crops ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
High Tunnels ◽  
The World ◽  
Agricultural Census ◽  
Disease Pressure

High tunnels have been used for many years worldwide, but in the United States, the utilization of high tunnel technology for the production of horticultural crops is a relatively recent phenomenon. Single and multibay high tunnels are used throughout the world to extend the production season. One big advantage of high tunnels in the temperate and tropical regions of the world is the exclusion of rain, thus reducing the amount of disease pressure and crop loss while improving crop quality and shelf life. In temperate regions of the world, high tunnels are used to increase temperatures for crop production in spring, fall, and sometimes winter seasons. The use of high tunnels in their many forms continues to increase worldwide, and many different kinds of vegetables, small fruit, tree fruit, and flowers are being cultivated. One impediment in determining high tunnel usage worldwide is the failure of many authors and agricultural census takers to distinguish between high tunnels and plastic-covered greenhouses. In many instances, they are presented together under the heading “protected cultivation.”

scholarly journals Economic Studies Reinforce Efforts to Safeguard Specialty Crops in the United States

Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
M. Fuchs ◽  
C. V. Almeyda ◽  
M. Al Rwahnih ◽  
S. S. Atallah ◽  
E. J. Cieniewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Extension Educators ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Planting Material ◽  
Planting Materials ◽  
Economic Studies

Pathogen-tested foundation plant stocks are the cornerstone of sustainable specialty crop production. They provide the propagative units that are used to produce clean planting materials, which are essential as the first-line management option of diseases caused by graft-transmissible pathogens such as viruses, viroids, bacteria, and phytoplasmas. In the United States, efforts to produce, maintain, and distribute pathogen-tested propagative material of specialty crops are spearheaded by centers of the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). Agricultural economists collaborated with plant pathologists, extension educators, specialty crop growers, and regulators to investigate the impacts of select diseases caused by graft-transmissible pathogens and to estimate the return on investments in NCPN centers. Economic studies have proven valuable to the NCPN in (i) incentivizing the use of clean planting material derived from pathogen-tested foundation plant stocks; (ii) documenting benefits of clean plant centers, which can outweigh operating costs by 10:1 to 150:1; (iii) aiding the development of disease management solutions that are not only ecologically driven but also profit maximizing; and (iv) disseminating integrated disease management recommendations that resonate with growers. Together, economic studies have reinforced efforts to safeguard specialty crops in the United States through the production and use of clean planting material.

scholarly journals Developing Mechanized Systems for Producing, Harvesting, and Handling Brambles, Strawberries, and Grapes

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-31
Author(s):  
Justin R. Morris
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Agricultural Experiment Station ◽  
Commercial Use ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
The World ◽  
Agricultural Experiment

Mechanization of harvesting, pruning, and other cultural operations on many small fruit crops for the processing market has occurred in response to the scarcity and expense of hand labor. Scientists at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and other experiment stations in the United States and throughout the world have developed new cultural and fruit-handling systems and have determined the effects of these systems on fruit yield and quality. This research has resulted in the development of prototype and commercial machinery as well as production and handling systems that have assisted in mechanization systems for brambles, strawberries (Fragaria×ananassa Duch.), and grapes (Vitis sp.). Much of this body of work is in commercial use and much is simply available, awaiting circumstances that will be beneficial to implementation.

scholarly journals Growing climatic sensitivity of U.S. agriculture linked to technological change and regional specialization

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. eaat4343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Ortiz-Bobea ◽  
Erwin Knippenberg ◽  
Robert G. Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Regional Specialization ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Sensitivity

A pressing question for climate change adaptation is whether ongoing transformations of the agricultural sector affect its ability to cope with climatic variations. We examine this question in the United States, where major increases in productivity have fueled most of agricultural production growth over the past half-century. To quantify the evolving climate sensitivity of the sector and identify its sources, we combine state-level measures of agricultural productivity with detailed climate data for 1960–2004. We find that agriculture is growing more sensitive to climate in Midwestern states for two distinct but compounding reasons: a rising climatic sensitivity of nonirrigated cereal and oilseed crops and a growing specialization in crop production. In contrast, other regions specialize in less climate-sensitive production such as irrigated specialty crops or livestock. Results suggest that reducing vulnerability to climate change should consider the role of policies in inducing regional specialization.

scholarly journals An Optimal Redesign Approach for Optimal Global Supply Chain Redesign: Brazilian Soybean Grain Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Juan José Uchuya Lopéz ◽  
Raad Yahya Qassim
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Supply Chains ◽  
Rail Transportation ◽  
Road Transportation ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Inland Waterways

Brazil and the United States are the leading soybean grain producing and exporting countries in the world. Although crop production cost is significantly lower in Brazil than in the United States due to more advanced crop production technology, this competitive advantage vanishes in view of the higher logistics costs in Brazil than in the United States, in view of the dominance of road transportation in Brazil, whilst river and rail transportation are prevalent in the United States. In order to regain its competitive advantage, there is a clear need for a redesign of the inland supply chain in Brazil through the use and expansion of existent inland waterways and rail networks. In this paper, an optimal supply chain redesign methodology is presented to achieve the aforesaid objective, with a focus on Mato Grosso which is the largest producer and exporting state in Brazil. This methodology is in fact applicable to multiply echelon global supply chains in general.

scholarly journals Air versus water chilling of chicken: a pilot study of quality, shelf-life, microbial ecology, and economics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aeriel D Belk ◽  
Toni Duarte ◽  
Casey Quinn ◽  
David A. Coil ◽  
Keith E. Belk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Shelf Life ◽  
Microbial Ecology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Water Immersion ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Meat Industry

Abstract Background. The United States’ large-scale poultry meat industry is energy and water intensive, and opportunities may exist to improve sustainability during the broiler chilling process. After harvest, the internal temperature of the chicken is rapidly cooled to inhibit bacterial growth that would otherwise compromise the safety of the product. This step is accomplished most commonly by water immersion chilling in the United States, while air chilling methods dominate other global markets. A comprehensive understanding of the differences between these chilling methods is lacking. Therefore, we assessed the meat quality, shelf-life, microbial ecology, and technoeconomic impacts of chilling methods on chicken broilers in a university meat laboratory setting. Results. We discovered that air-chilling (AC) methods resulted in superior chicken odor and shelf-life, especially prior to 14 days of dark storage. Moreover, we demonstrated that AC resulted in a more diverse microbiome that we hypothesize may delay the dominance of the spoilage organism Pseudomonas. Finally, a technoeconomic analysis highlighted potential economic advantages to AC when compared to water-chilling (WC) in facility locations where water costs are a more significant factor than energy costs. Conclusions. In this pilot study, AC chilling methods resulted in a superior product compared to WC methods and may have economic advantages in regions of the U.S. where water is expensive. As a next step, a similar experiment should be done in an industrial setting to confirm these results generated in a small-scale university lab facility.

scholarly journals Feeding and lighting practices on small-scale extensive pastured poultry commercial farms in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 785-788
Author(s):  
Maurice Pitesky ◽  
Alison Thorngren ◽  
Deb Niemeier
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Commercial Farms

Mobile Banking Systems and Technologies

2011 ◽  
pp. 754-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheon-Pyo Lee ◽  
Merrill Warkentin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Value Added ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mobile Banking ◽  
Wireless Technologies ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
New Business ◽  
Communication Devices ◽  
Electronic Delivery

The last decade has witnessed the rapid growth of mobile communication devices and wireless technologies across the globe. The convergence of mobile devices and wireless technologies has not only changed the way many activities are conducted, but has also provided a foundation for a new type of technology-aided commerce called mobile commerce (m-commerce). As e-commerce’s next evolutionary stage, m-commerce opens up new business opportunities in business-to-consumer (B2C) markets in addition to extending current operations in e-commerce and traditional brick-and-mortar businesses (Varshney & Vetter, 2002). The significant power of m-commerce is primarily a result of the anytime-anywhere connectivity of wireless devices, which provides unique experiences and services (Figge, 2004; Zwass, 2003). One of the most promising and value-added m-commerce services is mobile banking (Lee, McGoldrick, Keeling, & Doherty, 2003; Mallat, Rossi, & Tuunainen, 2004). Mobile banking is the newest electronic delivery channel to be offered by banks in which technology has become an increasingly vital element, and it provides convenience and enhanced value to both banks and customers. With its clear benefits, mobile banking is now gaining rapid popularity in European and Asian countries with the significant market penetration of mobile handsets and the optimally designed marketing tactics of service providers (Suoranta & Mattila, 2004). However, mobile banking is still marginally adopted across the globe, and especially in the U.S., the growth appears much slower than anticipated (Mallat et al., 2004). In the United States, there are only a small number of banks that have actually introduced mobile banking services, and most other mobile banking efforts are in small-scale trials (Charny, 2001). Therefore, the technology which will be employed in the United States market has been of interest not only to financial institutions, but also to mobile technology developers and future users.

Use of Chemical and Nonchemical Methods for the Control of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) and Associated Winter Colony Losses in U.S. Beekeeping Operations

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 1509-1525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariela I Haber ◽  
Nathalie A Steinhauer ◽  
Dennis vanEngelsdorp
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Potential Control ◽  
Winter Losses ◽  
Varroa Control

Abstract The parasitic mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) is a major cause of overwintering honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses in the United States, suggesting that beekeepers must control Varroa populations to maintain viable colonies. Beekeepers have access to several chemical varroacides and nonchemical practices to control Varroa populations. However, no studies have examined large-scale patterns in Varroa control methods in the United States. Here we used responses from 4 yr of annual surveys of beekeepers representing all regions and operation sizes across the United States to investigate use of Varroa control methods and winter colony losses associated with use of different methods. We focused on seven varroacide products (amitraz, coumaphos, fluvalinate, hop oil, oxalic acid, formic acid, and thymol) and six nonchemical practices (drone brood removal, small-cell comb, screened bottom boards, powdered sugar, mite-resistant bees, and splitting colonies) suggested to aid in Varroa control. We found that nearly all large-scale beekeepers used at least one varroacide, whereas small-scale beekeepers were more likely to use only nonchemical practices or not use any Varroa control. Use of varroacides was consistently associated with the lowest winter losses, with amitraz being associated with lower losses than any other varroacide product. Among nonchemical practices, splitting colonies was associated with the lowest winter losses, although losses associated with sole use of nonchemical practices were high overall. Our results suggest potential control methods that are effective or preferred by beekeepers and should therefore inform experiments that directly test the efficacy of different control methods. This will allow beekeepers to incorporate Varroa control methods into management plans that improve the overwintering success of their colonies.

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