Optimization of Transplant Transportation
Conditions
PIs: Dr. Chieri Kubota and Mark Kroggel,
Plant Sciences
High quality transplants
(seedlings and cuttings) are critical for success in horticultural crop
production. Increasing numbers of growers (crop producers) purchase
their transplants from specialized transplant producers instead of using
their own facilities to grow their own transplants. A drawback of
purchasing transplants is the risk of deterioration (or damage) to
transplants during transportation from transplant producers to the
growers. This limits the market size of the transplants as well as
the potential sources of desirable (high quality) transplants.
Greenhouse tomato growers in Arizona often seek sources for the best
quality grafted and ungrafted seedlings in Canada. There is much
potential for improvement of the transportation conditions. By
optimizing the transportation conditions, transportable distance will be
increased or transporting duration (dates) can be longer using less
expensive freight systems, without causing unacceptable yield reduction of
the final products. The outcomes of the project will benefit various
transplant producers, including the specialty crop growers such as
greenhouse crops and medicinal plant producers. The ultimate goal of
our research is to design and develop transportation techniques and
methods for transplants of various species. The objectives of our proposed
research are: 1) to analyze environments during transportation of
transplants, 2) to determine critical environmental factors for quality
preservation during transportation of transplants, and 3) to optimize the
transportation conditions that permit transportation of transplants to
Arizona growers without significant yield reduction.
Cooperators:
Dr. Teena Hayden (Native American Botanics), Jack Benne (Bevo Farms),
Damian Solomon (Euro Fresh)
Completed
2005 |
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}