High Tunnels can Produce Higher Yields of Organic Cherry
Tomato and Bitter Melon in Southwest Ontario Climate
Trials conducted in 2015 demonstrated that high tunnels dramatically increased
the yield of cherry tomato and bitter melon compared to field production.
Insect netting on rollup sides increased both fruit number & mass in bitter melon
but decreased fruit mass & had no effect on fruit number in cherry tomatoes.
Bitter melon in high tunnel
Bitter
Bitter
melon
melon
in in
field
field
Cherry tomato in high tunnel
4.5
Fruit weight (kg/plant)
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
15
1.8
0.9
Open field
High tunnel
Date (mm-dd)
high tunnel+insect netting
12
9
6
3
0
300
Fruit number (No./plant)
18
2.7
0.0
06-17
06-24
07-01
07-08
07-15
07-22
07-29
08-05
08-12
08-19
08-26
09-02
09-09
09-16
09-23
09-30
10-07
10-14
10-21
Fruit number (No./plant)
21
3.6
250
07-08
07-15
07-22
07-29
08-05
08-12
08-19
08-26
09-02
09-09
09-16
09-23
09-30
10-07
10-14
10-21
Fruit weight (kg/plant)
2.5
Cherry tomato in field
Open field
High tunnel
Date (mm-dd)
high tunnel+insect netting
200
150
100
50
06-17
06-24
07-01
07-08
07-15
07-22
07-29
08-05
08-12
08-19
08-26
09-02
09-09
09-16
09-23
09-30
10-07
10-14
10-21
07-08
07-15
07-22
07-29
08-05
08-12
08-19
08-26
09-02
09-09
09-16
09-23
09-30
10-07
10-14
10-21
0
Date (mm-dd)
Date (mm-dd)
Fig. 1. Bitter melon yield.
Fig. 2. Cherry tomato yield.
A multidisciplinary research team is involved in this research project:
Dr. Youbin Zheng: Greenhouse organic crop production, plant nutrition
Mr. Dave Llewellyn: High tunnel infrastructure and plant production
Dr. Yun Kong: Vegetable production under controlled environments
Dr. Rene Van Acker: Weeds management
Dr. Ralph Martin: Sustainable food production
Dr. Mary Ruth McDonald: Integrated vegetable crop management
Dr. W. David Lubitz: Engineering, microclimate
Ms. Martha Gay Scroggins: GCUOF co-ordinator
Mr. Evan Elford: New Crop Development Specialist (OMAFRA)
For more information, please contact Dr. Youbin Zheng at [email protected]
Acknowledgements: This project is supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Organic Cluster Research Program and managed by Organic Agriculture Centre of
Canada. We thank Nora, Katie, and Patrick for their excellent technical support.