Developing a sustainable automated spring frost cycling protection method in cranberry production

Developing a sustainable automated spring frost cycling protection method in cranberry production

Summary

Cranberry production is prevalent in Southeast Massachusetts and growers use irrigation to protect cranberry damage against frost damage. The objective of this project is to increase the use of automated cycling irrigation by the cranberry growers. Adopting automated cycling will potentially decrease water use, fuel consumption and its associated emissions and thus increase environmental sustainability while protecting cranberry buds from frost damage.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The overall objectives are to evaluate the efficacy of automated irrigation cycling and the savings associated with it, against the conventional methods. We will also be assessing the effects automated cycling on reducing bud frost damage, and evaluating plant density and fruit yield throughout the season. However, in the first quarter of the project, our objective was to ensure the participation of cranberry growers and establish grower sites prior to the beginning of the 2013 growing season. To date, we have established four grower participants who use automated cycling irrigation in frost protection. Two of these sites have been installed with McCrometer propeller flow meters on the pump discharge using a strap-on-saddle to accurately measure the amount of water used with each intermittent cycling. We are in the process of buying the remaining two propeller flows and these should be installed on the two remaining sites before the advent of the frost season. We also have sites using the conventional method for frost protection as controls. We plan to maintain them for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. This will give us a basis for comparison of savings with the automated intermittent method.

Accomplishments/Milestones

We have initiated contact with the cranberry growers and also established the cranberry bogs that we will be sampling from in order to achieve the rest of the objectives. For some of the sites, flow meters have also been set up to accurately record water savings. We are hoping to set up the rest of the flow meters before the beginning of frost protection. We are also working on hiring summer help.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

This project has the potential to promote sustainable frost protection practices while ensuring high yields in the cranberry industry. If growers adopt automated irrigation cycling based on the results of this project, then they are likely to see reductions in water and fuel usage in their cranberry beds. The results will impact the entire Cape Cod area as the outreach program is targeted to educate all cranberry growers in the region.

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