windbreak plants for plasticulture vegetable

SWCA@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
Sun, 12 May 1996 14:48:47 -0500 (EST)

I am an extension agent with the University of Florida. Several of the
commercial vegetable farmers I work with are seeking recommendations for
plants to use as windbreaks in their plasticulture system. The main
crops are strawberries followed by eggplant/pepper/tomato or a cucurbit.

Does anyone have information/experience with windbreaks that would fit
into our system here? Protection needed Oct through May. Must be
frost-tolerant, but temps will also be up to 90 F. Irrigation is
provided to crop with drip. Frost
protection provided overhead with rainbirds. Growers seek protection
from cold winter winds and blowing sands that damage plants & fruit.

To date, the best recommendations I have are sugarcane and winter rye.

I also want to learn how to determine the necessary spacing for the
windbreak rows. Space is expensive and the crop is low. I shtere a
formula for calculating the distance that a windbreak will protect if you
know its height?

Thanks for your help!
Suzanne Cady
Extension Agent - Vegetables
University of Florida