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Best Management Practices for Long-Term High Tunnel Soil Sustainability

Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program

April 25, 2017

Best Management Practices for Long-Term High Tunnel Soil Sustainability

A collaboration between Cornell Vegetable Program, the Cornell Student Organic Farm and NOFA-NY resulted in a $10,000 award from the Towards Sustainability Foundation. The project team worked closely with 10 high tunnel operators across Central and Western NYS, educated farmers and students, and provided technical assistance in managing soil health in high tunnels for long term productivity. At these farms a total of 20 soil tests and 80 foliar tests were performed, and it was documented that 7 of the 10 farms regularly exceeded recommended soil nutrient levels, often by more than 150%. These excess levels not only indicated a challenge in environmental, but also financial sustainability. Phosphorus, calcium and magnesium from fertilizers build up over time and interfere with other nutrient uptake. High pH irrigation water and fertilizers cause soil pH to rise, limiting micronutrient availability.

Project staff worked closely with growers to analyze and respond to the results, focusing on reducing phosphorus and calcium inputs and better supplying the crop with sufficient nutrition. This reduced excess nutrient application in high tunnel soils and lead to improved net profitability as input costs decrease and yields increased. The 10 participating NYS High Tunnel growers improved tunnel sustainability by optimizing fertilizer inputs, balancing macro-nutrients, decreasing compaction, increasing organic matter levels and other related parameters through the implementation of soil BMPs.

  • 6 of 10 participating growers adopted the incorporation of cover crops to the high tunnel rotation to increase organic matter, reduce compaction and reduce excess nutrients in the soil. 
  • 8 of 10 participating growers adopted the use of low-to-no phosphorus fertilizers to avoid further nutrient build up. 
  • 8 of 10 participating growers improved their pH management strategy through soil and/or water acidification.
  • After participating in this project, net high tunnel income increased by an average of $1556.61, for an average increase of 26.9%. 

The program was refunded for an additional $10,000 to continue the work in 2017.

A short video about high tunnel soil conditions, produced by NOFA-NY, features Cornell Vegetable Program Specialist Judson Reid.



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Upcoming Events

Food Safety Lunch and Learn Webinar Series

February 11, 2025 : Part One: What's Going on with Food Safety?

NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets FSMA inspectors are expected to step up farm visits this season. Why are they showing up on the farm asking about FSMA? Aren't we exempt? This noontime hour we will discuss the purpose of the farm visits and what produce farmers need to know.


February 18, 2025 : Part Two: What Counts as Food Processing?

In this session, we will discuss what counts as processing and what doesn't. Stories of inspectors coming to farmers markets and auctions telling some growers certain products can't be sold usually without much explanation. We will try to make some sense of things and clear up some misunderstandings so hopefully the upcoming season goes smoothly.


February 25, 2025 : Part Three: Traceability - Benefits for Food Safety and Beyond

Can having a traceback process for your produce (and other farm products) make good business sense regardless of FSMA regulations? We will (try to) make the case for farms to have some sort of traceability mechanism in place.

View Food Safety Lunch and Learn Webinar Series Details

Allium Pests!

February 26, 2025

Presented by Christy Hoepting (CCE Cornell Vegetable Program) and Ann Hazelrigg (Univ. of VT), this webinar will focus on organic management of pests and diseases of onions, garlic, leeks. The webinar is part of a series supported by the Transition to Organic Partnership Program. 

View Allium Pests! Details

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training

March 4 - March 5, 2025
Syracuse, NY

This two-day workshop will train fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPSs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. (A remote attendance option is available.)

View Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training Details

Announcements

We're Hiring: Vegetable Field Research Technician

Vegetable Field Research Technician (Batavia, NY)
If you enjoy working outdoors and want to gain hands-on experience in research conducted on a diverse set of working vegetable farms, this position is for you! The position (39 hours/week) with CCE Cornell Vegetable Program is available from May through August with possible extension depending on candidate availability. This position will be housed at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Batavia, NY. Regular travel throughout our program region will be required. 

To Apply:
External applicants must apply through the Cornell Careers site. Internal applicants (including temporary employees) will need to apply through Workday.

The initial posting will close on February 23, 2025 but may be extended based on the initial candidate pool.

Winter Cover Cropping in High Tunnels

Cornell Cooperative Extension is researching cover crops for high tunnel growers to better manage fertility and improve soil health. Our work has shown that winter cover cropping in high tunnels has the potential to add organic matter, improve soil structure, support microbial activity, and help with nutrient management by scavenging leftover nitrogen and/or fixing nitrogen. This publication, Management Practices for High Organic Matter Soils: Winter Cover Cropping in High Tunnels, shares best practices for winter cover cropping in high tunnels including species selection, planting rates and dates, termination, and cultural management considerations.

Laser Scarecrows to Deter Birds in Sweet Corn

Are you considering the use of a laser scarecrow to deter birds on your farm? Cornell Cooperative Extension and the University of Rhode Island teamed up to test a research laser scarecrow on sweet corn farms.

A laser scarecrow is a device that has one or more laser modules connected to motors. The specifications of the lasers are optimized to the color and motion sensitivity of bird's eyes. When laser beams move across a field, birds become frightened and attempt to move away from the perceived threat. Light from the laser covers an area quickly and moves through the canopy without causing injury to the crop. Research demonstrates that birds do not readily become habituated to the laser.

A laser scarecrow used as the sole deterrent typically results in a significant reduction in crop damage. Combined with an auditory device, damage can be reduced even more. When used as part of an integrated management program for bird control that utilizes habitat management and multiple scare tactics, laser scarecrows can be useful tools for growers of multiple crops. All scare tactics must be deployed before birds find the field. The effectiveness of lasers depends on multiple factors such as bird species, bird populations, habitat and food availability. Lasers are not effective at deterring deer, racoons, coyotes or other mammals.

To learn more, the Laser Scarecrows to Deter Birds in Sweet Corn and Other High-Value Agricultural Crops fact sheet provides background information, research data, FAQs, and Advantages/Limitations on laser scarecrows.

NY Urban Farms Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

Cornell Cooperative Extension has partnered with dozens of urban farms across New York State to demonstrate and evaluate sustainable pest management strategies. Together with farmers, we found success using control methods that prevent or reduce crop losses through exclusion strategies, crop timing, host resistance, the introduction of beneficial organisms, and more. Regardless of management strategy used, common requirements for success include a knowledge of the pest and disease complex, preventative deployment and commitment to the process. The New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series includes case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable.

NYS Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment

As part of a multi-year project exploring non-spray pest management options that are economically and environmentally sustainable for urban farms, we conducted a needs assessment with urban growers across New York State. The New York State Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment presents findings on current pest management practices, challenges, and topics of future interest.

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