Articles
Optimizing year-round greenhouse strawberry production in northwestern Europe using everbearer cultivars
Article number
1465_2
Pages
13 – 20
Language
English
Abstract
Northwestern European greenhouse growers traditionally grow high chill demanding short-day cultivars to acquire year-round strawberry production.
Multiple growing cycles result in labour peaks with planting, harvesting and clearing.
Also during the plant production phase a lot of labour is needed due to planting of runner tips and harvesting of the plants.
With rising costs of labour and raw materials (needed for substrates, fertilizers) growers need to look at the cost-efficiency of their cultivations.
With everbearers it is possible to harvest fruits over a longer period with just a short period of vegetative growth.
In this way the growers have a more constant labour demand and increase chances of harvesting during periods of good prices.
By replacing short-day with everbearer cultivars, growers also need less plants and substrate during propagation and production.
As a consequence, growers are able to flatten their traditional labour peak in summer for crop maintenance during propagation and planting for production.
The Research Centre Hoogstraten compared multiple cultivation strategies to explore the opportunities of year-round production with everbearing cultivars in greenhouses.
One single planting in January of cold stored plants of the everbearing cultivar ‘Karima’ resulted in a high total production per plant but in autumn the quality and grading of the fruits decreased.
To overcome this problem, a second planting in July with new, cooled plants or fresh plants, resulted in better grading and quality of the fruits.
Multiple growing cycles result in labour peaks with planting, harvesting and clearing.
Also during the plant production phase a lot of labour is needed due to planting of runner tips and harvesting of the plants.
With rising costs of labour and raw materials (needed for substrates, fertilizers) growers need to look at the cost-efficiency of their cultivations.
With everbearers it is possible to harvest fruits over a longer period with just a short period of vegetative growth.
In this way the growers have a more constant labour demand and increase chances of harvesting during periods of good prices.
By replacing short-day with everbearer cultivars, growers also need less plants and substrate during propagation and production.
As a consequence, growers are able to flatten their traditional labour peak in summer for crop maintenance during propagation and planting for production.
The Research Centre Hoogstraten compared multiple cultivation strategies to explore the opportunities of year-round production with everbearing cultivars in greenhouses.
One single planting in January of cold stored plants of the everbearing cultivar ‘Karima’ resulted in a high total production per plant but in autumn the quality and grading of the fruits decreased.
To overcome this problem, a second planting in July with new, cooled plants or fresh plants, resulted in better grading and quality of the fruits.
Publication
Authors
S. Laurijssen, P. Melis, M. Hofkens, V. Greffe, L. Bosmans, T. Van Delm
Keywords
Fragaria × ananassa, year-round strawberry production, labour, everbearers, greenhouse
Groups involved
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Working Group Strawberry Culture and Management
- Division Sustaining Horticulture in a Changing World
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
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