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As we initiate our third year of hoop house vegetable trials, now is an appropriate time to share some observations from the previous two years.

I had the privilege of participating in a 10-day agriculture mission to Israel focused on their greenhouse and plasticulture industry.

Hoop House Pepper Study. Encouraged by the results of several hoop house tomato yield trials during 1996, we decided to take a close look at another promising hoop house crop - bell pepper.

Though there are many benefits to growing crops in hoop houses, it is not completely without problems. At the Noble Research Institute, the most persistent problem in the hoop houses is accumulation of salt in the raised beds.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, hot peppers make great additions to a healthy diet. They are cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories, rich in vitamins A and C and a good source of folic acid, potassium and vitamin E. In response to this craving for all things hot, market gardeners are expanding their offering of hot pepper varieties.

One choice facing any grower using a portable hoop house structure is deciding on the type of endwall to install.

Beginning October 2002 and lasting through May 2003, a study was conducted at the Noble Research Institute Horticulture Center in our 23-foot by 68-foot triple side-vent hoop house to evaluate the performance of five commercial strawberry varieties: Chandler, "Camarosa," "Sweet Charlie," "Treasure," "Gaviota" and one experimental line, "JP4," grown in a hoop house environment.

Many hoop house tomato growers believe that larger transplants translate into earlier yields. The Noble Research Institute conducted a study to determine if that's really the case.

Properly-managed hoop house heat can generate additional dollars for growers &nash; but too much heat can create unfavorable hoop house conditions for both plants and people.

During my tenure with the Noble Research Institute, I've had the opportunity to meet many innovative growers. I met one such person this past September on the farm of Tod and Jamie Hanley at a hoop house conference sponsored by the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture.