Recent News
TRANSPLANTING DAY 2022
Nov 8, 2022
2.5 acres and over 50,000 plants
We realize that these are not big numbers for any commercial grower, but it's a big day for our small team at the Strawberry Center because our whole season of research starts here!
Unlike some years where temperatures soared over 95F, we had a nice cool (high of 71F/22C), sunny day for transplanting last Wednesday 2 Nov 2022. We are extremely grateful to our team of students, staff and the labor crews who made it happen in one day.
A special shout-out to Darensberries/BlazerWilkinsonGee and Good Farms for sending two labor crews to help us plant and to Lassen Canyon Nursery for donating bareroot transplants. The work is long and tiring, but scanning across the bed tops dotted with beautiful strawberry transplants at the end of the day makes every bent back and deep knee bend worth it!
2022 BEDDING UP at the Strawberry Center
Nov 4, 2022
In preparation for planting this season, Strawberry Center students Anthony Bella (M.S. Agriculture, Crop Science concentration) operates the rototiller/bed shaper combination implement and Colin Koubek (B.S. Plant Sciences) follows up with some shovel work to fill in the gaps (top photo); Stella Buford (B.S. Agr Systems Mgmt) injecting drip tape onto finished beds (bottom photo). Fine textured soil like this are not easy to make strawberry beds out of! Once beds are shaped and plastic put down, transplanting will take place.
Hawk-simulating kite used in research project
Nov 1, 2022
Led by center plant pathologist Dr. Shashika Hewavitharana and Master's student Mary Steele, the Wheat Cover Crop research project is in its second year. The project evaluates the impact of wheat as a cover crop on the severity of Macrophomina root rot of strawberry. Shown here about a week after sowing wheat seeds is protective netting (on top of soil) and a kite simulating a hawk in efforts to keep resident birds from impacting the study.
Strawberry Center Disease Diagnostic Service
Oct 31, 2022
About the plant disease diagnostic service
Soil-borne pathogens such as Macrophomina phaseolina are challenging strawberry production as they become increasingly prevalent across California (Fig. 1). Accurate disease diagnosis is the cornerstone of integrated pest management. The Strawberry Center’s disease diagnostic service has been serving California strawberry growers since its inception in 2014. This diagnostic service, fully funded by the California Strawberry Commission, is free to all California strawberry growers, pest control advisors, breeding programs, and industry partners. Diseased strawberry plant samples are self-collected and submitted to the Strawberry Center for disease diagnosis. As part of their participation in the Strawberry Academy, Cal Poly student assistants process submitted plant samples, gaining valuable pathology laboratory experience and training.
Read full blog post @ https://strawberrycenterblog.com/2022/10/31/cal-poly-strawberry-center-disease-diagnostic-service/
Strawberry Academy featured in CAFES CULTIVATE newsletter
Oct 27, 2022
The Strawberry Academy was featured in the Fall 2022 issue of CULTIVATE, the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences' (CAFES) quarterly magazine.
The Strawberry Academy, launched in 2021, is a student workforce readiness program designed to provide our students with the opportunities to gain practical industry skills while attending school.
Article available online @ https://cafes.calpoly.edu/cultivate-fall-2022/strawberry-academy
Our latest research blog post: Diagnostic symptoms and signs of OFF-CYCLE ZYTHIA LEAF BLOTCH
Oct 25, 2022
Learn about diagnostic symptoms and signs of OFF-CYCLE ZYTHIA LEAF BLOTCH in our latest research blog post.
We usually see Zythia leaf blotch (caused by Zythia fragariae) during the early spring when plants are small and the weather is cool and wet. With summer planting in Santa Maria occurring in May, especially in fields close to the coastline where fog and heavy dews are common, the same conditions exist...
Read more: https://strawberrycenterblog.com/2022/10/25/off-cycle-zythia-leaf-blotch/
Subscribe to our center research blog: https://strawberrycenterblog.com/subscribe/
Strawberry Center students tour "table top" production system
Oct 25, 2022
TABLE TOPS TOUR
Strawberry Center students toured the "table top" production system at Mar Vista Berry on 17 Oct 2022. Table top production is not new but is seeing renewed interest and improved techniques among some strawberry growers because of the benefits it offers over conventional farming (e.g., improved ergonomics for harvesting and lack of soilborne pathogens). The advantages must be weighed against the increased costs for long-term sustainability. Strawberry farming in California is a very dynamic business where new stressors on the system can change farming practices rapidly. Our students got an outstanding introduction to this system along with its pros and cons by hosts Greg France and Ryan Harrison at Mar Vista Berry, both Cal Poly grads.
TABLE TOP STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION IN THE NEWS:
LA TIME: https://tinyurl.com/la-times-strawberry
CBS NEWS: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/strawberry-picking-robots-help-farmers-amid-drought/
A bumper crop of lygus: 7 facts about lygus bugs you may not have known
Oct 20, 2022
Lygus bug gotcha down?
Center entomologist Dr. Sarah Zukoff reviews some basic lygus biology on in our recent blog post -- "A bumper crop of lygus: 7 facts about lygus bugs you may not have known".
https://tinyurl.com/lygus-bugs-strawberry
SUBSCRIBE to Cal Poly Strawberry Center research blog @ https://strawberrycenterblog.com/subscribe/
Strawberry Center participating in 4-year $5.3M USDA-NIFA/SCRI-funded study
Oct 20, 2022
The Strawberry Center is participating in a 4-year $5.3M USDA-NIFA SCRI-sponsored research project led by Dr. Mark Hoffmann, strawberry production specialist at NC State University, and 19 other scientists at 12 universities across the country. Center Master's student Sam Simard’s research, aiming to develop strawberry propagation protocols, is part of this multi-state “mega-project”. Specifically, she is focusing on analyzing the effect that planting date has on yield of two predominant strawberry cultivars, assaying such traits as plant vigor, fruit weight and fruit quantity.
Read about this USDA-NIFA-funded research project on HortiDaily.com @
https://tinyurl.com/host-daily-2022
Great AGventure event 2022
Oct 14, 2022
Our team had the wonderful opportunity to host an exhibit table at the 20th annual Great AGventure, held at the Paso Robles Events Center on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This event focuses on providing interactive education to local 4th graders on various sectors of the agricultural industry.
Mary Steele (Strawberry Center) and Miriam Mendez and James Reid (both CA Strawberry Commission) hosted a fabulous table, providing a presentation and interactive activities for the kids in attendance. Among other things, they demonstrated Phytophthora testing using Immuno-strips and allowed close inspection with a hand lens of berries carrying Botrytis. A huge thank you goes out to Mary, Miriam and James for creating such a wonderful opportunity for local kids to learn about our center and to the SLO Agricultural Education Committee for hosting this enriching annual event!
