Recent News
Botrytis fruit rot season is upon us :-(
Feb 8, 2024
In this blog article, Center Director Gerald Holmes discusses optimal conditions for establishment of our most economically important fruit disease.
Temperatures between 60F and 75F and wetness lasting over 16 hours are ideal for infection and disease development. These conditions are most likely to occur during the winter and early Spring, when fruit supply is low and prices are high.
[Read More…] https://strawberrycenterblog.com/2024/02/08/its-botrytis-fruit-rot-season/
Subscribe to the Cal Poly Strawberry Center Research Blog @ https://strawberrycenterblog.com/subscribe/
New Center program leader Mohammad A. Aghaee introduces himself
Feb 6, 2024
Explore our most recent blog article! Our new Cal Poly Strawberry Center Entomology Program Leader MOHAMMAD AMIR AGHAEE tells us a bit about himself.
The Bug Man Cometh
Two months have flown by faster than I realized. Leaving the South and coming back to the West Coast after almost a decade is a bit jarring. Gone are the slow dusty beats of the corn, cotton, and soy tractors traversing the field filled with Ford F-250s and secondhand RAM 2500s. Now I stand on sandy soils producing some of the juiciest fruit lined with the workers’ Toyotas and Hondas. In some ways the processes are the same and in other ways they are different.
Read full post @ https://strawberrycenterblog.com/2024/02/06/the-bug-man-cometh/
Cal Poly Strawberry Field Day set for Thursday, August 8, 2024
Jan 31, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2024
Jeff Cardinale
California Strawberry Commission
AnnMarie Cornejo
Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Alison Stevens
Cal Poly Strawberry Center
CAL POLY STRAWBERRY CENTER PRESENTS NEW STRAWBERRY FARMING RESEARCH AND INNOVATION EFFORTS
Annual Strawberry Center Field Day research aids industry in pest and disease management and workforce efficiency and safety
San Luis Obispo, Calif. – Hundreds of strawberry growers, researchers and agricultural stakeholders from California will gather Thursday, Aug. 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Cal Poly Strawberry Center Field Day, the largest research and education event for the California strawberry industry. The event will showcase the latest in strawberry innovation and provide attendees with resources to better combat challenges faced by strawberry growers while introducing new technologies.
The Strawberry Center was formed 10 years ago as a partnership between the California Strawberry Commission and Cal Poly aimed at increasing the sustainability of California’s $3 billion strawberry industry through research and education.
To further its research efforts, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, in collaboration with the California Strawberry Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service in Salinas, California, was recently awarded $1.25 million in federal funding in continued support of its strawberry production automation research and its efforts in fostering a workforce pipeline to support sustainable food production needed to meet the demands of a growing population.
“The annual Strawberry Center Field Day is a way to showcase the research and innovations our students and staff are working on,” said Gerald Holmes, director of the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. “Each of these projects will benefit the strawberry industry indefinitely.”
The Strawberry Center Field Day spotlights the latest research findings in automation, entomology and plant pathology. Highlighted projects include:
- Non-chemical pest management solutions involving an optimized bug vacuum and use of UV-C light.
- Mechanical Ag plastic removal and recycling
- Automations to improve workplace efficiency and safety like the hoop house arch remover, decapper and cross hole puncher/burner.
- Solutions for controlling and mitigating soilborne pathogens including the use of cover crops, plant breeding and salts & moisture manipulation.
- New information on the management of Lygus and spider mites.
Increased focus on automation technologies will help improve strawberry production and lead to a higher-quality product, supplying a steady stream of healthy produce. The introduction of advanced technologies, including automation capabilities, are critical to the long-term competitiveness for domestic production of strawberries and other specialty crops within the international agricultural marketplace.
“Celebrating a decade of commitment to research and education is not just a milestone, but a testament to the strength of the strawberry industry and its vision to succeed with dedication and innovation,” said Rick Tomlinson, president, California Strawberry Commission. “The work showcased at the Strawberry Field Day is crucial to advancing strawberry farming and environmental stewardship, and we look forward to what’s next.”
California’s strawberry farmers are among the most progressive and environmentally conscious growers in the state and the world. They continue to lead, evolve and implement the most sustainable farming practices and ways to grow strawberries, which includes the research and innovations coming from the Strawberry Center.
Strawberries are California’s third highest-grossing crop, bringing in $2.68 billion in 2022. There are more than 400 growers, shippers and processors that grow 90% of U.S.-grown strawberries, many on multi-generational family-owned farms.
Registration for the event is now open for strawberry industry members. More details about the Strawberry Center Field Day can be found here.
About California Strawberry Commission
The California Strawberry Commission is more than 300 strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors, all working together to advance strawberry farming for the future of our land and people. Commission programs create opportunities for success through groundbreaking programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, it delivers the good news about sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms, and communities.
About Cal Poly Strawberry Center
The Cal Poly Strawberry Center was established in 2014 within the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences as a partnership between Cal Poly and the California Strawberry Commission. This one-of-a-kind center is rooted in the hands-on learning approach that defines Cal Poly. The center focuses on applied research incorporating teaching and learning experiences for Cal Poly undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and California strawberry farmers. For more information, please visit www.strawberry.calpoly.edu.
Lygus bug vacuum featured in Vegetable Growers News
Jan 23, 2024
Vegetable Growers News' managing editor Chris Koger talks with Center Automation program leader John Lin about how an ongoing collaboration between the California Strawberry Commission, Cal Poly Strawberry Center, C&N Tractors and growers has greatly improved the efficiency of the Lygus bug vacuum. The vacuums operate without use of any chemicals, assisting both organic and conventional growers in reducing Lygus bug populations, estimated to cause $200 million in lost sales throughout the state each year.
http://tinyurl.com/lygus-bug-vac
Stop by our table at the Centers and Institutes Fair
Jan 16, 2024
Stop by our table at the Centers and Institutes Fair tomorrow (Wednesday)!
All faculty, staff and students are invited to the Cal Poly Centers and Institutes Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from noon to 2 p.m., being held on Mustang Way (the pedestrian walkway between Mott Athletics Center and the Univ Union. Come learn what our Center and many other Cal Poly centers and institutes do and how you can get involved. We look forward to seeing you there!
MS student Samantha Simard participates in SCRI Exchange Intern program
Jan 9, 2024
Listen in as our Center Research Associate and Masters Student Samantha Simard describes her experience as an Academia-Industry Student Exchange Intern with Driscoll's in Watsonville, CA. This is part of the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative grant that funded Sam's project. She particularly enjoyed her experiences and interactions with raspberry industry leaders and growers as this was a new area for her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWMYcXgdUh4
Cal Poly Mustang News features Strawberry Center
Jan 4, 2024
The Strawberry Center was recently featured in Cal Poly’s Mustang News. The article was written by Cal Poly journalism student, Caitlin Garcia, as part of her course project. The piece details our Center’s research and activities, and includes interviews with some of our team members.
Check it out now!
Plants Get Sick: A Look into Strawberry Pathology at Cal Poly
by Caitlin Garcia
https://mustangnews.net/a-look-into-strawberry-pathology-at-cal-poly/
A warm welcome to our new Entomology Program Leader
Jan 2, 2024
We are pleased and excited to announce that Dr. Mohammad Amir Aghaee joined our team on Dec 4, 2023.
Mohammad grew up in East Bay around Berkeley and Oakland, CA. He completed his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley before going to UC Davis for his doctorate in entomology working on rice water weevil and brown marmorated stink bug. He did his postdoc at NC State working on cotton bollworm and lygus near the outer banks. He then took a position with Bayer at their insectary in Tennessee working on plant insect protectant trials in corn, cotton, and soy across a whole series of pests.
Mohammad believes the best lessons are learned through action and just a dash of adversity. He learned video production and editing during the pandemic for Bayer and he will bring his entire creative and scientific skill set to bear for the Center and the strawberry industry.
Please join us in welcoming Mohammad!
Happy Holidays from the Strawberry Center!
Dec 21, 2023
Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season and a cheerful New Year!
From the team at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center!
The Strawberry Center is growing!
Dec 7, 2023
We're excited to welcome to our team new field technician Lawson Orradre! Lawson grew up in Morgan Hill California, CA, which sits at the north end of the Salinas Valley, where he was surrounded by agriculture his entire life. He recently graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Lawson's favorite thing about the Strawberry Center and Cal Poly as a whole is that "it is an extremely hands-on experience where all staff members and students are able to collaborate and create great products and learning experiences. I have already gained so much knowledge and experience from the Center and I am excited to continue the 'Learn By Doing' work".
Welcome Lawson!
