2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Consumer demand for organic and/or local fresh produce has been growing steadily in the United States during the last decade. To meet that demand, many growers have adopted high tunnel production systems, which have successfully increased the yield of several crops. However, little is known about the effect of this production system on the quality and shelf-life of produce. Our objective was to determine how high tunnel production affects the pre-harvest and postharvest losses of organic tomato as compared to the open-field. Two tomato cultivars, ‘BHN 589’ and ‘Cherokee purple’ were grown at the Kansas State University Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center from 2014 to 2016. We utilized a split-plot randomized complete block design with six replications and typical production practices for the area. Tomatoes were harvested twice per week at pink maturity stage and yield was measured. Pre-harvest losses were assessed by determining the marketability of the tomato fruit. Tomatoes were stored at 12.5°C and 25°C for 21 days. Respiration rate, overall quality, texture, color, as well as nutritional and organoleptic quality were evaluated for both crops during storage in order to assess postharvest losses. Main effects showed that plants grown in the high tunnel system had 142% higher yield compared to the ones in the open-field in 2014-2016 (P<0.05). Tomato fruit marketability was 64.5% in the high tunnel whereas in the open-field it was 52.8% (P<0.05). For both cultivars and storage temperatures, the samples grown in the high tunnel had higher overall quality and demonstrated 3 to 5 days longer shelf-life compared to the open-field. The sugar/acid ratio was higher in the tomatoes grown in high tunnel compared to open-field indicating improved organoleptic quality. There were no differences in the antioxidant capacities for ‘BHN 589’, but they were higher for ‘Cherokee purple’ tomatoes grown in the open-field. There were no differences in lycopene and β-carotene content during storage for both cultivars. Our results indicate that the utilization of high tunnels for organic and/or local production of tomatoes could reduce pre-and postharvest losses and could help growers obtain high quality crops with longer shelf-life.