Kansas State University and the University of Florida are sharing an AFRI grant to learn more about improving the freshness and shelf life of locally grown produce by using high tunnels, an inexpensive version of a greenhouse. The researchers discovered that, in addition to extending the growing season, crops grown in high tunnels have a longer shelf life than crops grown in the field. A longer shelf life makes the products more marketable and can dramatically add to the grower’s profits. The researchers are now investigating how the light spectrum inside a high tunnel affects the development of a plant’s natural antioxidants with the goal of increasing its nutritional quality.
Read more at Kansas State.
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