2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Strawberry production in the southeastern states of North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Virginia (VA), Georgia (GA) and Alabama (AL) contribute significantly to fruit economies in this region. Collectively, the growers in these states produce strawberries on more than 2300 acres with an estimated annual value of $47,158,000. The majority of the strawberry crop is destined for Pick-Your-Own (PYO), retail, and wholesale markets, making these states the 3^rd most significant fresh market region in the U.S. behind California and Florida. Annual hill plasticulture is the predominant production system, where the plants are set in the fall and harvest is about 6-7 months later in the following spring. ‘Camarosa’ and ‘Chandler’ are the primary cultivars used for annual hill (spring) production. A few farms set fruit in the fall, produce a crop that fall and again in the spring. These farms use an annual hill plasticulture system in tandem with tunnels, rowcovers or both to allow for season extension. ‘Albion’ is the primary cultivar used for fall/spring production. In the mountainous regions of these states, a few growers utilize matted row as their primary method of production. Throughout the region, the typical acreage per farm is small, less than 5 acres/farm and those growers are focused on producing for local, direct sales on-farm and PYO markets. However, in NC and SC, there are a small group of growers that produce fruit for wholesale markets, and they typically produce more than 10 acres of strawberries per farm. These large growers utilize the shipping quality berries ‘Camino Real’ and ‘Camarosa’. Most states in the region report that acreage will likely continue to increase due to local food demands and potential reach to east coast markets. Consistent concerns are labor demands, clean plant supply, disease and insect management. Future potential practices include adoption of newer cultivars, labor reducing and season extension technologies.