2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Most strawberry growers in the northeastern United States (U.S.) produce with the same basic system that has been used for more than 100 years. The perennial matted row involves planting cold hardy short-day varieties in spring, establishing a row of mother and daughter plants during the summer, overwintering the plants, then fruiting them in spring. The planting is renovated and allowed to fruit for an additional year or longer. Yields per hectare are low compared to annual production systems that now dominate in the southeastern and western U.S., but adoption of annual production methods in northern climates has proven challenging. The unpredictable climate and extreme temperature variations have made raised beds, plasticulture and plug production of short-day cultivars very risky in all but the most southern areas of Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Northern adapted cultivars of day neutral strawberries amenable to annual production (e.g. ‘Tribute’ and ‘Tristar’), while flavorful, are small and low yielding. The more recent development of large-fruited and flavorful cultivars from California (e.g. ‘Albion’) coupled with low tunnel technology and wavelength-selective plastics, have provided new opportunities for both annual and extended season production in the northeastern U.S. Growers are now trialing ‘Albion’ and other Californian day neutrals in raised beds, mulched with white-on-black plastic, and covered with translucent plastics that shield the plants from ultraviolet light, diminish infrared light, but allow most visible light to penetrate. Plastic can be lowered easily when the temperature drops or when heavy rain is forecast and raised when the weather improves. These cultivars can be overwintered and allowed to produce a spring crop the following year before they are removed. Better management of temperature and moisture has greatly decreased disease pressure and has allowed growers to harvest fruit from June until November, and even later in some areas. The extended season opens up opportunities for northeastern growers to access markets that previously were not accepting of local fruit because of the short season of availability. Also, because of the expense of fumigation, growers are paying more attention to crop rotation and factors that influence soil health. Spotted-winged drosophila and tarnished plant bug have been a challenge in some locations, but not all. Northeastern strawberry growers are on the cusp of growing strawberries in a completely different way than in the past.