Biological Feasibility of High Tunnel Production of Strawberries in Florida

Protected culture of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) has increased steadily in Florida in the last few years. The cropis harvested during the winter months when preferential prices are available to growers. High tunnels are the preferred protected culture structure due to their relatively lower price than greenhouses and their effectiveness on freeze protection. A five-year study revealed that marketable fruit weight increased by an average of 51% in 15 validations when strawberry were produced inside high tunnels in comparison with yields in the open fields. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.81) between the number of nights with cold weather (≤ 2 °C) requiring freeze protection versus the increase on marketable fruit weight in all cases.