2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Day-neutral strawberry cultivars have expanded the potential strawberry season in cool climates from 6 weeks to 6 months. However, poor weather conditions typically experienced late in the season has made the use of protected agriculture critical for reaching this potential. Previous work has shown that the cultivars Albion and Seascape in an annual plasticulture system covered by low tunnels produce the best combination of yield and high quality fruit for local markets into the late fall season. The goal of this project was to examine the effect of spring planting date on the yield potential of these cultivars in this production system. Replicated plantings of ‘Albion’ and ‘Seascape’ were established in Ithaca and Geneva, NY in an annual plasticulture system utilizing low tunnels for weather protection. Bare root plants were installed at each site at approximately two week intervals starting April 15 in Geneva (5 total planting dates) and April 30 in Ithaca (4 total planting dates) and ending June 15. Fruit was harvested from mid-July to mid-November and evaluated for marketability and mean fruit weight. The highest yields were observed from the earliest planting dates with yields trending down at the latest dates. Overall the Ithaca site had higher mean yields at approximately 525 g·plant^-1 for the April 30 planting and 300 g·plant^-1 for the June 15 planting. At a planting density of 47,000 plants·ha^-1, this translates to a calculated yield of nearly 25,000 k·ha^-1 at the early dates, which is considerably higher than typically achieved in June-bearing (short-day) production in the region. Marketable yield for ‘Albion’ and ‘Seascape’ at both locations reached a minimum of 75% and 65%, respectively, without the use of fungicides or insecticides. Higher total yield and percent marketable fruit was generally observed at the Ithaca site. Based on these trials, earlier planting is recommended for maximizing yield for day-neutral strawberry production in cool climate locations.