Second year of specialty crop research begins at RAREC

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The second year of specialty crop research at RAREC in southern New Jersey began in late March when seed of fresh-market tomato, bell pepper, and eggplant seeds were dropped off at A. Pagnini Farms and Greenhouses LLC, a fifth generation wholesale produce and greenhouse operation founded Vineland in 1919.

Following the harvesting of our spring spinach trial, the ground for the second year of our specialty crops research trial was prepped on 4 June, with the discing and spading of the plot areas and the application and incorporation of 80 lbs N/acre of 14-4-14 pre-plant fertilizer. On 6 June, raised beds consisting on white on black plastic mulch were laid with drip irrigation set off-center.

Figure 1. Soil beneath the agrivoltiac panels being worked with a spader prior to bed formation. Since the panel rows are spaced 34 ft apart we need as much room as possible to get 5 rows of plastic in between.
Figure 2. Beds being formed in between the double AV panel plots. Turning the panels off at solar noon allows just enough clearance to drive the tractor beneath them.
Figure 3. Plastic mulch being laid beneath a single AV panel in the research plot at RAREC in southern New Jersey.
Figure 4. This is what the beds look like before we lay plastic mulch and drip irrigation. Herbicide is also applied at this point for weed control beneath the plastic mulch. The five beds approximately on 5 ft centers allows for about 2 feet between each of the outside rows and panel pole rows.
Figure 5. An image of the control plots (without AV panels) facing North after the raised beds have been formed prior to laying plastic mulch. The white stack seen here would be where the middle panel row is in the AV blocks. Round Up was applied to kill all the weeds in the panel rows at this point in time.
Figure 6. An image of the field after the white-on-black plastic mulch has been laid with our drip line spaced off-center so we can transplant the specialty crops (eggplant, tomato, and bell pepper) in single rows down the center of the mulch. Herbicide for in season weed control was applied between the row middles prior to transplanting.
Figure 7. A view of the plastic mulch in the double AV panel block. Note the weeds which were sprayed with Round-Up starting to die off beneath the panel pole rows. Weeds that grow back here will be controlled using a string trimmer during the production season.
Figure 8. A view of the single AV panel block. Note how much less the single panel extends out over the plot area compared to the double panel in the previous image.

The specialty crop trial done this summer at RAREC will be similar to the trial in 2024 so we will have two years of data for statistical analysis. To follow our progress all season long, please subscribe to the RAP Team’s blog.

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