SEPTEMBER 2017
CELEBRATING 138 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION
THEGROWER.ORG
THE FUTURE OF FIELD VEGETABLES
Plasticulture: a light at end of the tunnel
The dense canopy of these field peppers and a heavy flower set are two clues to the productivity of this crop pictured in September 2016. What can’t be seen are the plasticulture and drip lines underneath. Marc Wall (L) and field manager John Guendert, Sandy Shore Farms, Port Burwell, Ontario, are big believers in the technology for a crop they almost abandoned. Photos by Glenn Lowson. KAREN DAVIDSON John Guendert is called the pepper whisperer. Through trial and error, the field manager has coaxed 30 tons of pepper production per acre, double that of five years ago at Sandy Shore Farms, Port Burwell, Ontario. “Bare ground production has marginal returns at 15 tons per acre,” says Marc Wall, partner in the farm, near Lake Erie. “By using plastic and drip irrigation, we’re now able to pull off the
yields we need on half the acreage.” The current crop of 160 acres is expected to top 35 tons per acre, thanks to a fertigation program with increased calcium levels. This season’s plentiful rain has supplemented what is offered through the driplines. The biggest threat to such a lush canopy as peppers is bacterial spot. The soil-borne disease is kept at bay with the peppers grown on plastic. “Because of minimum wage increases, farmers will have to
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make production more efficient,” says Wall. “Plasticulture is one way to lower the picking cost. Our labour force loves this system.” The crop is hand harvested several times from early August right up until frost. The surprise is that these crisp bell peppers are destined for the processing market in the U.S. They are cored and sliced in half on the packing line before being packed in bulk cardboard bins for shipment. Destination? Anywhere east of the
Mississippi River. “That market seems insatiable,” says Wall. “Tim Hortons has a snack wrap that includes a slice of green, red and yellow pepper. And many other companies include peppers in their frozen medley mixes or pizzas. Peppers are added to many different foods for colour and sweetness.” The venture is not without risk. No crop insurance exists for peppers, and the biggest worry is hail. Sandy Shore Farms, also a major grower of
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asparagus, has experienced the loss of the first pick of asparagus to frost – a $250,000 hit. To date, they have not had the same issue with peppers. In the last decade, fruit farmers have mitigated weather extremes with wind machines, hail netting and irrigation sprinklers. Vegetable farmers, however, can’t justify the expense because they rotate crops. So row covers and plastic tunnels have made inroads, even at costs of $3,000 per acre. Continued on page 3
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