Produce Grower: Why is a healthy transplant so critical?

Jeena Andrews & Pierre Marc de Champlain: Moving from the greenhouse to the field, even after hardening off, is stressful for the plant. Young plants with healthy roots will establish more successfully when transplanted in the field. They can more rapidly overcome transplant shock as the roots spread out quickly and have access to give access to more nutrients. Healthy transplants are also less susceptible to pests and diseases. This translates to better stands and earlier harvests which can increase profits to offset the additional production costs associated with transplanting itself. Corrective measures are more difficult to implement outside of the controlled environment.

PG: How can using a quality substrate contribute to producing a healthy transplant?

JA & PMC: A quality substrate is the foundation for healthy plants. It is essential to use a consistent growing media with uniform physical and chemical characteristics that provides the ideal environment for the transplants. With our BM2 series, overall management of production is more efficient and less labor intensive with greater crop uniformity. Differences in growth will inevitably require adjustments to the irrigation and fertilization strategy, which can quickly become very challenging and expensive. Using a substrate from a reputable supplier like Berger will help youget a uniform stand, predictable results and better field success.

PG: What are the characteristics you look for in a growing media for veggie transplants?

JA & PMC: This is a critical step as seedlings are very susceptible to diseases. A well-balanced substrate contains components that provide porosity for air space and drainage while also giving adequate water holding capacity. Growers want a substrate that allows them to develop a strong root mass which maximizes transplant success. The fertilizer starter charge should be well balanced, but low enough to prevent stretching. The growing mix should have a finer particle size than traditional horticultural products since you want to maintain uniform moisture around the seed throughout the germination process. However, too much moisture can also be problematic. Fine or coarse grade perlite can be added to give additional drainage. Recent research we have done with fine grade wood fiber has shown tremendous results and has led to the creation of our new BM2 NF Wood products. The combination of fine grade peat moss and wood fiber promotes phenomenal root development and helps produce stalky transplants.

PG: What services does Berger offer to help support growers?

JA & PMC: Berger has a technical services team to assist professional growers that includes grower advisors available to assist throughout the production cycle to help improve yield and simplify operations. Berger’s ISO 9001 certified lab can perform a wide range of chemical and physical analysis including media analysis, water analysis, plant tissue analysis and complete characterization of the growing media. Our technical services team is available to help interpret the results. Our lab also conducts thorough testing of all our products throughout production to ensure quality and consistency. A final inspection report is available for each bale or bag of mix we deliver.

Produce Grower: Why should growers look to a company traditionally known for its petunias for advice about fruit and vegetable crops?

Kevin Hurd: We’ve taken our expertise of finding exceptional ornamental plants that perform for the consumer and expanded it into fruits and vegetables. As with annuals, there is a flood of food crop varieties on the market. We want to help simplify the consumers’ choices to make it easy for them to find the very best plants to help nourish their loved ones.

PG: What does Proven Winners look for when selecting new Proven Harvest varieties?

KH: First and foremost, we select for flavor. If it isn’t the most delicious fruit, vegetable or herb we’ve tasted, it doesn’t make the cut. Beauty is a secondary, yet important, trait. Proven Harvest varieties combine both ornamental and edible attributes into one.

For example, one might grow Berried Treasure® strawberries for their delectable fruit, but their bright, double flowers carry equal merit. That makes them easy to showcase in container recipes like the one pictured here called Strawberry Fields. It combines Berried Treasure Red strawberries and Amazel Basil® with Superbells® Holy Cow!™ calibrachoa and Rockin’® Fuchsia salvia.

PG: Are Proven Harvest varieties trialed as rigorously as annuals before introduction?

KH: They are put through even more intensive testing than our annuals. In addition to container and landscape trials at locations across the U.S., each trial site has a tasting panel comprised of everyone from professional fruit/vegetable breeders to casual vegetable consumers. Yield, vigor and disease pressure as well as flavor, texture, mouth feel and additional qualities are tallied across all locations and voted on by Proven Winners members.

GM: How does branding work to the advantage of growers and grower retailer?

KH: The Proven Winners brand name means quality to consumers — it assures them that what they are buying is going to perform exceptionally. Even if they know nothing about growing tomatoes, they know that if they plant a Proven Winners tomato, it is going to be amazing. Plus, margins are far more generous on Proven Winners branded varieties than generics, making them a wise use of greenhouse space.

PG: What’s new in the Proven Harvest line for 2022?

KH: In addition to our strawberries, tomatoes, pepper and vegetatively produced basil, we are adding two new herbs for 2022. Pesto Besto™ is a sweet Italian seed grown basil that comes from the same highly respected breeder as Amazel Basil®. And AlliYum!™ garlic chives is both ornamental and edible, carrying a blend of onion and garlic flavors throughout its attractive foliage and flowers.

Seeds and liners are available for all Proven Harvest varieties with the exception of Amazel Basil which is sterile, so is offered as URCs and liners. Contact your preferred Proven Winners propagator for further details.

As a producer of fresh-cut basil, what is your main production goal? It is most likely to produce a quality crop with the highest possible yield while minimizing production time and input costs. Similar to produce, basil is sold by mass, so yield equals profitability. We know that we can steer plant growth, development and yield to meet our targets by manipulating environmental parameters such as light intensity, quality and photoperiod, as well as temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. However, crop quality parameters must also be preserved. Basil quality consists of many parameters including its appearance (color, blemishes, turgid vs. wilted, etc.), leaf-to-stem ratio, leaf size, shelf life, aroma and flavor. Without great aroma and flavor, basil would be no different from lettuce.

Flavor compounds

We often think of flavor as only taste, but it is actually a combination of taste and aroma. Take basil as an example: What is the characteristic smell you associate with basil? How does that compare to its taste? This is a strong example of how taste and aroma work in concert. It also helps illustrate how volatile compounds, or compounds that can be airborne, are integral to the quality of certain crops.

When investigating basil flavor, we have to quantify specific compounds. How do we decide which ones to focus on? There are many compounds that make up the characteristic flavor of basil, but we will focus on four compounds that contribute the most: eugenol, methyl chavicol, 1,8 cineole, and linalool (Fig. 1). Eugenol and methyl chavicol are the main flavor compounds in cloves and anise, respectively, contributing to the clove- and anise-like aroma of basil. 1,8 cineole, also known as eucalyptol, contributes a eucalyptus-like flavor and is a main component of eucalyptus. Finally, linalool contributes a flavor that is described as “floral with spiciness” in the literature, but we think it smells like Fruit Loops. Together, these compounds, along with several others, make up the basil flavor profile we love.

Light = Flavor

How do our production practices influence basil flavor and the concentration of these compounds? We grew sweet basil ‘Nufar’ seedlings in a growth chamber under 100, 200, 400 or 600 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 for 16 hours each day to create daily light integrals of 6, 12, 23 or 35 mol·m^-2·d^-1. After two weeks, we harvested the seedlings. Overall, concentrations of three of the four compounds tended to increase as light intensity increased (Fig. 2).

The bigger question is, how did altering the light environment impact consumer perception and preferences? After all, while lab tests are important, at the end of the day, what really matters is whether a customer likes how the product looks and tastes. We conducted a sensory panel where samples were prepared, randomized and supplied one at a time along with water and saltine crackers to consumer panelists through a sliding door (Fig. 3). The panelists answered a series of questions regarding their perception of the basil they consumed. What we found was that overall liking (green line) was greatest when young basil was grown under 200 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 compared to lower or higher light intensities (Figure 4). But why is this the case? Trends in plant color, texture and flavor mirror the overall liking trend. Panelists described a deeper green coloration of leaves grown under lower light intensities compared to those grown under 400 or 600 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 of light (purple line). While plants grown under 600 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 appeared normal when harvested, bruising occurred when leaves were rinsed gently for consumption (Fig. 4). Additionally, the texture (blue line) of the leaves grown under 600 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 was more frequently described as “wilted” or “chewy.” Besides the discoloration and texture differences, flavor (red line) was a large contributor to overall consumer liking. Basil grown under 100 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 did not have a strong flavor, but those grown under 200 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 had the characteristic basil flavor panelists expected. However, as light intensity increased up to 400 and 600 µmol·m^-2·s^-1, the flavor was too intense. Panelists described the basil grown under high intensities as “bitter” and “spicier.”

We often think of flavor as only taste, but it is actually a combination of taste and aroma.

Aroma preferences (yellow line) had an interesting trend where plants grown under 100 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 had the lowest rating because the aroma was not strong enough. As light intensity increased to 200 to 600 µmol·m^-2·s^-1, aroma preference leveled off because it is more difficult to saturate aroma in a large room compared to a sample having too strong of a flavor.

Additionally, the participants preferred the larger leaf size (pink line) of plants grown under higher light intensities. Again, these were two-week old seedlings; the plants grown under 100 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 had fairly small leaves. The positive aspect to small leaves, as some panelists suggested, is that entire leaves could be used to garnish a dish.

What implications do these insights have for production?

There are some limitations to this study. Young basil plants were used in the analysis and consumer sensory study, where basil is often transplanted and grown longer before harvesting. Additionally, panelists tasted the basil as a whole leaf by itself, not in pasta, caprese salad or any other delicious dish. However, there are still some important takeaways from this work. We know that light intensity has a large impact on the concentration of flavor compounds in basil, and we know that consumers can perceive the difference. If the basil you are growing is not flavorful enough, consider adding more light. If it is too flavorful, consider shading the crop. Keep in mind that altering the light environment will not only influence flavor, but yield as well. Additionally, for greenhouse-grown basil, light differences across seasons may influence the flavor and overall quality of your crop. To produce a crop with year-round flavor consistency, supplemental lighting or shading will mostly likely be needed. Finally, if your goal is to produce basil for different purposes, the “light” level is an effective tool to manipulate to produce low-flavor intensity basil for fresh eating, such as in caprese salads, and high-flavor basil for freshly processed foods, such as pesto.

Kellie Walters is a former graduate student at Michigan State University (MSU) and is now an assistant professor of controlled environment plant physiology in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee. Roberto Lopez is an associate professor and controlled environment/floriculture extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at MSU. The authors gratefully acknowledge Sean Tarr and Nate DuRussel for assistance, JR Peters for fertilizer, Grodan for substrate, Hydrofarm for hydroponic production systems, LS Svensson for shade cloth, and MSU AgBioResearch and Project GREEEN, MSU Graduate School, and the USDA-NIFA for funding.

Bluehouse Greenhouse Inc. is currently readying its 2.8 million square-foot greenhouse and energy park. Through this formidable crop-growing network, the company will cultivate and market more than 50 million pounds of sustainable fruits and vegetables annually.

Such ambitious plans call for a powerful strategic partnership. Fitting the bill is Longvine Growing Co. — the recently rebranded Houweling US Holdings — which inked a five-year deal with Bluehouse in August to promote the California grower’s high-wire tomato and cucumber crops.

“We are building an ecosystem for premium produce and crops for the best marketers and strongest markets in each region,” says Bluehouse CEO and founder Ari Kashani. “The Longvine team has a history in wire crops, and ties to the industry here on the West Coast. Our strategy is to allow Longvine to do what they do best — market premium-quality products on the high-wire side.”

Facility nuts and bolts

Bluehouse will break ground on its 58-acre flagship facility by year’s end, a project encompassing 38 acres for tomatoes and cucumbers and 20 acres dedicated to lettuce and berry crops. Canadian greenhouse engineer ALPS is orchestrating the design build, with a special focus on renewable processes that meets the mission of both Bluehouse and its new partner.

“We’ve taken sustainability to new heights when designing this facility,” ALPS President Thomas Larssen said in a press release. “From crop balance, energy balance, efficiencies, use of automation, food safety protocols and everything in between, we’ve designed the most secure and resilient operation of this type in the country.”

The forthcoming agro-park facility includes a 13.2 megawatt energy center developed by Chicago-headquartered Endurant Energy. Kashani says the closed-loop, self-sustaining ecosystem — set for production by winter 2022 — will draw from the most advanced elements of sustainable agriculture and energy generation.

“The energy portion of the project is very important for productivity, and Endurant supplies low-cost energy for the most optimal operations outputs possible,” says Kashani. “The goal is to optimize our efficiencies from multiple angles, because energy can be very expensive.”

Collaborating to feed a hungry customer base

The joint venture gives Bluehouse access to a robust customer base alongside a team known for its growing, technical and service know-how. With a focus on local production, Bluehouse seeks to counteract domestic trends where about 60% of vine crops consumed in the U.S. derive from other countries.

Kashani says, “We are located in Los Angeles County, which has a population of 10 million residents, and Southern California has 24 million residents. This is a huge, hyper-dense local market we need to supply food to. Who wouldn’t want tomatoes, berries, cucumbers and herbs that are grown in Los Angeles?”

Meeting increased demand for locally grown traceable fruits and vegetables means hurdling unstable climate conditions and a shrinking labor pool. To that end, Kashani points to Longvine’s quarter-century of supplying customers across North America with a cornucopia of healthy, industry-leading products.

Such expertise is crucial as Bluehouse ramps up its new high-tech farm, notes Kashani. The glass greenhouse will harness natural sunlight, resulting in a projected 3,000% higher yield than a traditional farm. Additionally, the highly-controlled, herbicide-free facility will use 95% less water and 90% less labor in maintaining a comfortable plant climate year-round.

Considering Longvine has built hundreds of greenhouse acres across its agricultural footprint in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, leveraging the company’s talented engineers and designers will ensure full optimization of the new facility. Although Bluehouse has its own team to weigh LED lighting benefits and other details, additional onsite engineers can only have a positive impact.

“Having such an incredible ecosystem entails coordination with a team of sophisticated partners,” Kashani says. “All of this went into design and development to create the most advanced, up-to-date facility possible.”

The collaboration comes at an opportune time for Longvine, which launched its rebranding project in early 2020 as the Houweling family exited its ownership position from U.S. operations. Through an exhaustive reimagining process, Longvine accentuated its core approach as the supplier and marketer of choice to its associates.

Dovetailing with the recent sale and transition of a 125-acre greenhouse in Camarillo, California, to cannabis concern Glass House Brands, the Bluehouse deal lets Longvine integrate its numerous strengths — food safety, pack-line efficiency and growing expertise — within a market eager for its primary crops.

“We have a fairly diversified basket — right now, its tomatoes and cucumbers,” says Mike Reed, chief commercial officer at Mona, Utah-based Longvine. “We have a strong base in the California market, and wanted to maintain that.”

Start of a beautiful friendship

Greenhouse design is a critical facet in Bluehouse’s daily processes, while growing several crops in one facility requires cognizance of various environmental controls and climate zones. Food safety is another important operational element, one necessitating refurbishment of closed-off areas within the greenhouse to avoid cross-contamination.

Which brings Holland back to the ag-tech company’s new affiliation with Longvine, a relationship that will only support Bluehouse’s already successful crop-growing history. Drawing on Longvine’s reputation will be instrumental in meeting the increasingly stringent demands within controlled environment agriculture.

“They’re supplying us with IT advice as well as understanding of greenhouse automation systems,” says Holland. “They’re also bringing experience, which is a key ingredient to make all the pieces come together and work well.”

For their part, Longvine officials are excited to connect with a flagship example of sustainable and high-density agriculture, as well as a passionate entrepreneur carrying a robust vision for a modern growing operation.

Reed says that along with IT savvy, Longvine will provide Bluehouse with counsel on crop setup. Longvine will further strengthen the partnership with packhouse efficiency advice and guidance during an impending capital finance raise.

“We’ve got a strong customer base well-known throughout the west, and programs with some of the strongest retail clubs and club accounts,” Reed says. “We’re focused on high levels of service, which also was of interest to the Bluehouse team.”

“Ari has a great attitude — he has a passion for growing and sustainable methods, which aligns with our Utah footprint,” says Reed. “There’s great expenditure there in tapping into a nearby power plant and utilizing waste energy for our facility. Bluehouse is committed to the energy side of the business and that aligns with us perfectly.”

Bluehouse’s food and energy ecosystem is scheduled to come online within the next year. In the interim, company leaders are thrilled to have an experienced partner on the journey toward cutting-edge, innovative and advanced controlled farming.

“Longvine has a great brand, a strong team of marketers, and strategic people behind them,” says Kashani. “Our focus is supplying the Longvine team as well as folks in other categories with the best product. We have some of the nation’s most premium produce, and Longvine will market those products through their established distribution channels.”