A technical and economic evaluation of the high wire crop training system

Background:

• The previous HDC funded project (HDC project code PC201) evaluated the technical and economic viability of all year round (AYR) cucumber production using supplementary lights, climate control screens and energy efficient practices.

• The AYR growing system incorporated a high wire crop training system that was novel to UK growers. There were found to be considerable benefits from growing cucumbers by this training system under the AYR regime, including simplified evaluation of crop performance and crop management decisions, improved light penetration to the fruit, good air circulation, easier fruit picking, better quality, much reduced incidence of foliar pest and disease, and reduced wastage.

• However, high wire training requires significantly more labour than the conventional system.

• The CGA decided that the benefits of the high wire system of training cucumbers should be evaluated independently of supplementary lights and that is the basis of this latest HDC funded project (HDC project code PC273).

Potential benefits

• Reports from The Netherlands suggest a yield of 220 cucumbers per m2 per annum was possible from high wire grown cucumber crops without supplementary lighting. This is about 60 cucumbers per m2 per annum greater than the higher yielding British cordon-trained crops grown in glasshouses over 4m high (to gutter). This equates to £15 per m2 per annum or £150k per ha per annum.

• A more conservative yield estimate of 190 cucumbers per m2 per annum would still equate to an additional value of £75k per ha per annum.

• The initial investment in the infrastructure of the glasshouse is relatively modest (preliminary estimates being c£60k per ha).

• The cost of the extra labour (to be determined) must be subtracted from the increased income.

The facility:

• Previous work in small glasshouse units has illustrated the importance of assessing labour inputs on a relevant scale.

• This work will be done in two similar modern commercial glasshouses (each of 0.5ha), which are owned and managed by a leading CGA grower member. One glasshouse will be fitted with the equipment required to grow high wire trained crops, while the other will provide a comparison with best current conventional practice.

• The overall strategy will be fine tuned as required during the growing season to maintain output in response to crop growth, water use and environmental conditions.

The personnel:

• The CGA Technical Officer and the host grower will plan the agronomic strategy and monitor the crops weekly.

• The grower will collect yield and the agreed input records for the project team.

• FEC services have been commissioned to monitor, record and report on matters related to environmental control and energy use.

Accessing results:

• This will be a CGA demonstration project for the cucumber industry.

• The dissemination of new information is an integral part of the work plan and will be done through existing channels; eg CGA web site (click on the project update link above), CGA Newsletter, CGA Technical Conference and HDC News.

• The project is supported financially by the Horticultural Development Council.