Horticultural and Postharvest Potential of Producing Florida Strawberry Cultivars under High Tunnels

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Horticultural and Postharvest Potential of
Producing Florida Strawberry Cultivars under High
Tunnels

• Teresa P. Salame, Bielinski M. Santos,
• Craig K. Chandler, Steven A. Sargent,
• and Alicia J. Whidden

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Background Information

• Strawberry Fragaria x ananassa
• Rosaceae Family
• United States main grower of strawberry in the
  world (2nd China, 3rd Spain)
• California 60 of US production
• Fresh market 75
• 6 lb/person

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Florida Statistics

• 15 of US production
• 350 million in sales
• 7,500 acre
• Hillsborough Co. 90
• Alachua Miami Dade
• (USDA, 2007)

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High Tunnels Potential Benefits for Florida

• Early production
• Competitive edge in the market
• Grow other cultivars
• Stable microclimate
• conditions

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High Tunnels Potential Benefits for Florida

• Protect flowers from early frost damage
• Improve fruit quality
• Less insects and
• diseases
• High yields

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Jan 3, 2008
Lower temperature 27oF
GCREC, Balm
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General Objective

• Characterize the response of Florida strawberry
  cultivars under high tunnels, and determine their
  biological and economical feasibility.

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Specific Objectives

• Compare the growth, fruit earliness and yield of
  strawberry cultivars grown under tunnels and open
  fields.
• Examine the difference in postharvest quality of
  strawberries grown under tunnels and open fields.

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Experimental Site

• Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Balm,
  FL
• 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Seasons
• Fine Sandy Spodosol
• OM lt1.5
• pH 7.2

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Materials and Methods

• split plot design
• 2 environments
• 3 cultivars
• 4 replications
• Total 24 plots

16 ft
300 ft
28 ft

• High tunnels
• Roll-up sidewalls

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Materials and Methods

• CultivarStrawberry Festival
• Long shelf life
• Attractive fruit
• Susceptible to
• Anthracnose fruit rot
• Colletotrichum crown rot
• Release 2000 (UF)

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Materials and Methods

• Cultivar Winter Dawn
• Higher Yields from Nov. to Feb. (Central Florida)
• Fruit resistant to botrytis and anthracnose fruit
  rots
• Large fruit on small plants
• Release 2005 (UF)

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Materials and Methods

• Cultivar Florida Elyana
• Early production
• Large fruit
• Flavorful
• Firm
• Susceptible to rain
• UF line.

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Materials and Methods

• Raised beds (8 inch)
• Black mulch
• Bare-root transplants
• Drip irrigation
• Sprinklers

15 inch
25 ft
28 inch
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Examined Variables

• Plant growth (diameter)
• Soil and air temperature
• Chlorophyll content
• Photon Flux
• Harvest two times a week

SPAD-502
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Examined Variables

• Before and after storage
• (Plastic clamshells, 8 days, 5oC)
• External Color (Minolta)
• Firmness (Instron)
• Soluble solids content (oBrix)
• Total titratable acidity ( citric acid)
• Subjective
• evaluation

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Results Plant Diameter
a
b
a
c
b
c
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Results Early Yield

• 12 Harvests

47
57
114
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Results Total Yield

• 30 harvests

39
87
85
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Jan 3, 2008
Lower temperature 27oF
GCREC, Balm
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Results
42

• 6 harvests following freeze event (27oF)

59
285
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Preliminary Results Sugar Content
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What is next ?

• Postharvest data
• (vitamin C, acidity, etc.)
• Include other varieties
• Tunnels in other locations
• Economic analysis of high tunnels

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Acknowledgments

• Financial support of the
• Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA)
• North America Strawberry
• Growers Association
• (NASGA).

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