Growing strawberries under high tunnels can extend the harvest season, provide protection against rain, frost, and disease, and improve overall yield and fruit marketability. Pest pressure, however, can be higher on protected culture strawberry compared to the open field. This is especially true for small, soft-bodied pests such as spider mites, aphids, and thrips. Even[Read More…]
Wenjing Guan
Plasticulture strawberry harvest has kicked off in southern Indiana. These plants went through a winter of temperatures, ups and downs, and survived the unexpected frosts in April. Finally, it is harvest time! This article’s title is a message from a grower. The straightforward explanation is that plants received more sunlight and warmed up faster on[Read More…]
We received a freeze warning in Vincennes last Sunday with a predicted low temperature of 33 °F. Growers in southern Indiana reported minimal damage on plants covered with floating row covers. But significant damage was observed in fields that were not protected or covered with a thin layer of floating row cover. At Southwest Purdue[Read More…]
Using straws is the standard practice for winter protection in matted-row strawberry production. In contrast, plasticulture strawberries commonly use floating rows for winter and spring frost protection. This article will discuss the differences between managing floating row covers vs. straws in the spring. When straw is used, it blocks the light. There is hardly any[Read More…]
After a long cold winter under protection, nothing signals spring like the first blooms on strawberry. ‘Tis the season in our high tunnels and thus time to provide a few reminders/updates on how to protect the development of these early fruits from insect pests. The first thing you want to do is examine the health[Read More…]
Dr. Janna Beckerman, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist in the Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology joined our discussion to talk about Spring Diseases and Management. Our discussion focused on Anthracnose fruit rot and Botrytis fruit rot. Janna described the biology of the pathogens and provided cultural and fungicide recommendations for managing these diseases. You[Read More…]
We discussed insect pests and weed control during renovation in this episode. Our special guests are Drs. Stephen Meyers, Samantha Willden, and Mr. David Doud. Steve and Sam are researchers from Purdue. Steve is the weed scientist in the Horticulture department; Sam is a postdoc researcher in the entomology department. David is the owner of[Read More…]
Topics of July strawberry chat are Weed Control and Insect Pest Management. Our guests are Drs. Stephen Meyers and Samantha Willden, and Mr. David Doud. Dr. Meyers is an assistant professor and weed scientist at the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department. Dr. Meyers will discuss weed management and herbicide options in matted-row and plasticulture strawberry[Read More…]
Strawberry plug plants that have active growing root systems are easier to establish than bare-root plants. Interest in growing strawberries using plug plants and plastic mulch is growing. Strawberry plug plants are produced from the runner tips of mother plants. In commercial production, mother plants may be grown in climate-controlled greenhouses or open fields in[Read More…]
In the strawberry benchtop system in the greenhouses at Southwest Purdue Ag Center (SWPAC), we have been experiencing infestations in red berries of a small, clear larvae with a black head capsule. The larvae are often found in clusters on a single fruit and were difficult for us to identify. We encountered them in early[Read More…]