Organic Open-field and High Tunnel

Strawberry Cropping Systems

for Long-term Viability of the

Southeastern Industry

Carlene Chase, Xin Zhao, Oscar Liburd,

Zhifeng Gao, Mickie Swisher, & Sanjun Gu

University of Florida

Carlene ChaseWeed Scientist

Xin ZhaoHorticulturist

Oscar LiburdEntomologist

Mickie Swisher, DirectorCenter for Sustainable and

Organic Food Systems

Zhifeng GaoEconomist

Collaborators

Sanjun GuHorticulture Specialist

Marty MeshExecutive Director

SambhavApplied Research Manager

The long-term goal

Expansion of organic strawberry production in

the SE US beginning with Florida & N. Carolina

Focus: open-field and high tunnel systems

Environmentally & economically sustainable

Resilient to weeds, pests, and diseases

Assess the use of off-season cover crops forweed and nematode suppression

Sunn hemp

Hairy indigo

Jointvetch

Short-flower

rattlebox

PI - Carlene Chase

Cover Crop Performance

Sunn hemp & hairy indigo

have greater potential for

biomass production and

weed suppression.

Stakeholders requested

more research with these

2 species.

Stakeholders recommend

cover crops that also give

a marketable product.

Weed biomass suppression

cc c

a

b

c c

bc

b

a

Conference Posters and Presentations

Cover crops for organic strawberry cropping

systems. Weed Science Society of America

2014

Going organic to diversify and sustain the

strawberry industry. Florida State Horticultural

Society (FSHS) 2014

Engaging stakeholders to refine research

objectives for grant proposals. American

Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) 2014

Assess the performance of commercial strawberry

cultivars & advanced selections in organic systems

Citra

Plant City

High tunnel

(Citra)

Co-PI: Xin Zhao

‘Albion’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Strawberry Festival’, ‘Florida Radiance’,

‘Winterstar’, ‘Treasure’, ‘Proprietary #1’, & ‘Proprietary # 2’

2 advanced selections and

‘Florida Sensation’ in high tunnel

8 commercial strawberry cultivars evaluated in high

tunnel and open-field systems for plant growth, fruit

yield and quality

Almost all the cultivars showed

higher total marketable yields in the

high tunnel than in the open field.

‘Albion’ in open field

(Feb. 17, 2014, Citra)

‘Albion’ in high tunnel

(Feb. 17, 2014 Citra)

The magnitude of the impact of high tunnel on fruit

yield differed among cultivars.

Fruit quality attribute differences between cultivars

also varied with the production system.

Spider mites

Powdery

Mildew

Production problems differed in high tunnel

and open-field systemsHigh tunnel Open-field

Fruit rot

Fruit cracking

Yield performance of strawberry cultivars under

organic production in high tunnel and open field

(FSHS 2014 Annual Conference)

High tunnel production of organic strawberry in

northern Florida: opportunities and challenges

(ASHS 2014 Annual Conference)

Presentations

Biological control of twospotted spider mites

Neoseiulus californicus

Twospotted

spider mite

Co-PI: Oscar Liburd

Sampling for twospotted spider mites

Bigeyed bug, Geocoris spp. Minute pirate bug, Orius spp.

Beneficial insects recorded in strawberries

Hemiptera

AnthocoridaeLygaeidae

Thripidae

Sixspotted thrips

Scolothrips sexmaculatus

Monitoring for spotted wing drosophila (SWD)

Training growers to identify SWD

Strawberry injury resulting from

Neopamera bilobata (Say)

Presentation

Abundance of insect pests and mites

on strawberry varieties grown in high

tunnel and open field.

FSHS 2014 Conference

Assess consumer preferences for tangible and

intangible qualities of strawberries and consumer

willingness to pay for these traits

Obj. A

• Assess consumer preference and WTP for tangible attributes

Activity

• Sensory test with strawberry cultivars

Status

• Statistical analysis was conducted

Obj. B

• Assess consumer preference & WTP for intangible attributes

Activity

• National online survey

Status

• Online survey is complete and ready for distribution

Co-PI: Zhifeng Gao

100 participants were recruited, 50 with local

information (strawberries produced within 100 mi),

and 50 without this information

Participants rated 3

boxes of strawberries

for color, freshness,

shape and uniformity

Participants tasted

strawberries and

rated flavor & texture

WTP for 3 strawberry cultivars was assessed before and

after tasting

Take home messages

Only color matters for purchase before tasting/

purchasing strawberries.

After tasting/purchasing, only flavor and texture

matter.

Local information does not matter at all in

consumer choice of berries.

Implications for breeder, producer, and

marketing??

Presentation

Does Local Label Bias Consumer Taste Bud

and Choice Behavior: Evidence of a

Strawberry Sensory Experiment

(ASHS 2014 Annual Conference)

High tunnel cultivar evaluation

in Greensboro, NC. Co-PI: Sanjun Gu

10/08/2013

High tunnel in Greensboro, NC collapsed

due to snow accumulation in February

Field day at Hickory, NC – April 15

High tunnel workshop on 3/3/2014

Gu presented on Fall strawberry production

Stakeholder Assessment of ResearchCo-PI: Mickie Swisher

Growers, extension agents, strawberry breeder, Driscoll’s

3 assessments:

Southern Sustainable Agricultural Working Group conference, Mobile AL

High Tunnel Stakeholder Assessment at Citra

Open-field Stakeholder Assessment

On-station at Citra

On-farm in Plant City

Extension and Outreach

Short videos of the research will be released to the

UF IFAS website, YouTube, & extension training

venues.

Professional presentations of results to researchers,

extension agents, and growers.

Publication of results in refereed research journals,

conference proceedings and industry publications.

Strawberry industry leadership outcomes

1. Understand the potential impacts of the factors

assessed in this research on profitability and the

environment.

2. Better able to provide long-term guidance for

research and extension programs about organic

strawberry production.

3. Committed to continued involvement in future

research and outreach programs with an

organic focus.

Strawberry industry leadership outcomes

4. Assumed active roles in promoting research and

outreach efforts about organic strawberry

production.

5. Identified experimental practices most likely to

reduce costs of production and increase

profitability for producers.

Economic Sustainability

High tunnel production system that is a potentially

viable option to expand fall organic strawberry

production in the Southeast.

Identified emerging and existing pests that pose

high potential threats to organic strawberry

production systems.

Identified, through grower input, ways to improve

the economic viability of using cover crops to

suppress weeds and nematodes and comply with

this requirement of the National Organic

Standards.

Social Sustainability

Involvement of Extension faculty members, other local service providers, and growers.

Inclusion of representatives of and professionals who work with limited resource and minority farmers, such as the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists’ Association.

Expansion of the grower community involved in research and extension programs addressing organic strawberry production.

Environmental Sustainability

Identified potential technologies & management

practices that are economically feasible to

control arthropod pests, weeds and nematodes.

Applicable to organic strawberry systems, but

have potential applicability in conventional

systems as well.

Acknowledgments

This project is funded by a grant from the Walmart Foundation and administered by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability.