This presentation was given at the Horticulture Industries Show in Fort Smith, Arkansas in January 2015. We describe the benefits of growing blackberries and raspberries in high tunnels compared to field production, based on research conducted at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

1. Performance of Berries in Field
and High Tunnel
Production System
Curt R. Rom
Luke Freeman, Jason McAfee, Heather Friedrich
Spencer Fiser, Julia Stover
Donn Johnson, Jennie Popp, Elena Garcia

2. Berry Problematic
• Berry production season is short: 4-6 weeks
• Rain can reduce summer floricane cropping harvest
• High temperatures limit raspberry production in South
• High late summer temperatures limit flower formation and fruit set
of primocane fruiting blackberry and raspberry cultivars
• Early fall freezes (20-Oct) limit fruiting of primocane cultivars

3. WHY High Tunnels?

4. Why Tunnels?
Environmental Modification with
A. Temperature Modification
B. Precipitation and Moisture Modification
C. Light modification
D. Wind reduction
Thereby allowing the grower to
1. Extend the growing season
• Advance the Spring Season
• Extend the Autumn Season
2. Minimize impacts of weather (hail, wind, etc.)
3. Mitigate Pest Problems

5. The Opportunities and Benefits
from Tunnels
• Reduced Risk of High Risk Crops
• Never a “lost day” due to rain
• You will always have crop to sell
• Increase Value of Crops
-Increased yields; size, total yield
-Out-of-season production
-Reduced costs
• Extended Season means Extended Cash-Flow for the farm
• Potential Reduced use of Pesticides
• Opportunity for Sustainable and Organically Produced
• Possible better Economics

6. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Growing Season
Harvest Seasons
Potential Total Berry Harvest Season
Tunnels may extend the summer harvest season from
4-6 weeks during summer to 16-20 weeks during the year
}
Traditional Season
Early Tunnel
Crop
Early Tunnel
Crop

7. Opportunities
• With the combination of appropriate cultivar selection and use of
high tunnels
• Extend the season an additional 8-10 weeks per year
• Protect the crop from inclement weather
• Produce fruit when there are limited fresh fruit available in the market place.
• Chance to capture high value early and late markets

8. A Place for Tunnels
Tunnels have a place
in the production system
to compliment
field production

9. Our Projects
Sustainable/Organic Berry Production in Tunnels
A. 2006-2010
Blackberries and Raspberries
1. Advancing Spring Production
Blackberries: Navajo, Ouachita, Arapaho
Raspberries: Dormanred, Prelude, and Encore
2. Extending Fall Production
Blackberries: Prime-Jan, Prime-Jim, APF46
Raspberries: Dinkum, Caroline, Autumn Bliss
3. Double-Cropping Primocane Cultivars
B. 2012-2014 Studies
1. Advancing Spring Production
• Blueberries: Earliblue
• Blackberries: Natchez
2. Extending Fall Production
• Primocane Raspberries: Nantahala, Josephine, Autumn Bliss
• Primocane Blackberries; PrimeArk 45; APF#

10. Overall Project Goal
The overall project goals are
1. To extend the berry production season from 4-6 weeks (June-July) to 4-5
months (May – November) with double cropping primocane fruiting
genotypes
2. To allow for production of Raspberries in hot climates
3. To develop sustainable and organic production systems for southern fruit
4. To have products to capture high value markets

11. Hypotheses
• Extend the traditional summer seasons by advancing production of
floricane berries in the spring with tunnels
• Establish a autumn harvest season and extend it with tunnels
• Growing fruit out-of-season reduces potential pests
• Growing fruit out-of-season in tunnels may reduce incidence of
disease
• Use tunnels to improve fruit quality and marketable yield

12. Research Objectives
Develop production systems in order to :
I. Advance spring floricane blackberry production
(Study 1)
II. Extend autumn primocane harvest season of
blackberries and raspberries
(Study 2)

13. HT Environments
• HT reduce total PAR ~17-20%
• In the spring season, HT increases Growing Degree Hour (GDH) accumulation by
about 50-60GDH
• Advanced phenology approx. 2-3 wks
• Frost Protection Required in HT:
• Spring averaged 4 nights frost protection
• In the autumn season, HT prevented frost and continued fall fruiting for 3 – 4
wks after field
• Field ended between 15-Oct and 25-Oct (past 3 years) by freezes
• HT ended 28-Oct and 18-Nov by freezes
• Autumn averaged 2 night frost protection
• HT can “supercool” on some nights
• Requires frost cloths for both advancing the season and protecting crop

14. Do Tunnels Advance Bloom?
Treatment
Date of Full Bloom
2013 2014 AVG
Days
Advance
Field 1-May 6-May 4-May 0
High Tunnel 18-April 14-April 16-April 18 days
HT+ Tunnel in Tunnel 12-Apirl 8-April 10-April 24 days
CV: Natchez

15. Do Tunnels Continue Harvest?
Treatment
2013 2014 AVG
Days
Extension
Field 15-Nov 1-Nov 8-Nov 0
High Tunnel 15-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 5
HT+ Tunnel in Tunnel 27-Nov 14-Nov 21-Nov 13
CV: PrimeArk 45

16. 19296 lbs/A
15529 lbs/A
10030 lbs/A
14777 lbs/A
19363 lbs/A
28334 lbs/A
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
2012 Yield 2013 Yield 2014 Yield
Yieldper10ftplot(grams)
FD HT
Field vs Tunnel Yield
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.*lbs/A calculated at 8 ft row spacing
Yield increase result of fall
pruning management
Late frost
CV: Natchez
NOTE:
Pollination Problem

17. 0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Field High Tunnel
CumulativeYield(Lbs/acre)
Production System
2012 2013 2014
39% Increase
NOTE:
Pollination Problem
CV: Natchez

18. 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
5/28 6/2 6/7 6/12 6/17 6/22 6/27 7/2 7/7 7/12 7/17 7/22
DailyYield(gramsper10ftplot)
FD HT
Field vs Tunnel Daily Yield
2014
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.
CV: Natchez
Late frost

19. 0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
5/28 6/2 6/7 6/12 6/17 6/22 6/27 7/2 7/7 7/12 7/17 7/22
CumulativeYield(grams)
Date
2014 Natchez Blackberry Cumulative Yield
FD HT
Field vs Tunnel Cumulative Yield
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.
Last HT harvest 7/11
Date of 50% of Harvest
CV: Natchez

20. Field vs Tunnel Yield PrimeArk 45
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
2012 2013 2014
Yieldper10ftPlot(grams)
FD HT
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.*lbs/A calculated at 8 ft row spacing
High HT temps due to
insect screen
CV: PrimeArk45

21. 0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
Field High Tunnel
CumulativeYield(Lbs/acre)
Production System
2012 2013 2014
206% Increase
CV: PrimeArk45

22. Field vs Tunnel Daily Yield
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.
0.00
200.00
400.00
600.00
800.00
1000.00
8/1 8/4 8/7 8/10 8/13 8/16 8/19 8/22 8/25 8/28 8/31 9/3 9/6 9/9 9/12 9/15 9/18 9/21 9/24 9/27 9/30 10/3 10/6 10/9 10/1210/15
DailyYield(gramsper10ftplot)
FD HT
CV: PrimeArk45 2014

23. Field vs Tunnel Cumulative Yield
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8/1 8/5 8/9 8/13 8/17 8/21 8/25 8/29 9/2 9/6 9/10 9/14 9/18 9/22 9/26 9/30 10/4 10/8 10/12
Yield(grams)
FD Tot HT Tot
CV: PrimeArk45 2014

24. Field vs Tunnel Raspberry Yield
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
TotalYield(gramsper10ftplot)
Autumn Bliss FD Autumn Bliss HT Josephine FD Josephine HT Nantahala FD Nantahala HT
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.*lbs/A calculated at 8 ft row spacing
2013

25. Field vs Tunnel Raspberry Yield
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
AverageYield(lbs/acre)
Field Tunnel
137% Increase
*lbs/A calculated at 8 ft row spacing
2013

26. Field vs Tunnel Daily Yield
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
7/26 8/2 8/9 8/16 8/23 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1 11/8 11/15
DailyYield(gramsper10ftplot)
Autumn Bliss FD Autumn Bliss HT
CV: Autumn Bliss 2013

27. Field vs Tunnel Cumulative Yield
*Error bars represent standard error from the mean.
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
7/26 8/2 8/9 8/16 8/23 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1 11/8 11/15
CumulativeYield(gramsper10ftplot)
Autumn Bliss FD Autumn Bliss HT
CV: Autumn Bliss 2013

28. Conclusions
• Spring Tunnels advanced yield 2-3 weeks
• Greatest benefit was with TNT
• Need to manage pollination and frost control
• Spring Tunnels increased cumulative yield ~200%
• Some problems pollination in TNT
• TNT had significantly better frost protection
• Fall Tunnels extended yields 2-3 weeks
• Fall Tunnels increased cumulative yields ~200%
• Fall Tunnels increased raspberry yields ~135%

29. Other Observations
• Screening tunnels reduced SWD significantly (~95%)
• Screening increased tunnel temperatures
• Screening increased severity of mite problems on raspberries

30. Questions?