Strengthening the stability of yield and profitability in strawberry production through more effective biological weed control and regulation of the strawberry blossom weevil and various root rots

Project

Project code: 2811NA011
Contract period: 01.01.2012 - 31.12.2013
Budget: 131,649 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research

Organic strawberry production is facing serious harvest fluctuations and unstable harvest yield amounts. Hence the productivity of strawberry production is quite questionable. High costs through weed control, the strawberry blossom weevil and several soilborn pathogens like Verticillium-Wilt are the main reasons for unstable harvest amounts. Weed control: One strategy for a more effective control technique has been found in the Fingerweeder. Less working hours with the hoe could have been reached with this specific tool. Because the Fingerweeder is very cost efficient it is quite an interesting option even for small sizes starting at 0,5 ha. Specialized for bigger farms the sensor weed control could be quite interesting because it works highly efficient. Strawberry blossom weevil: In one year old fields with the cultivar Malwina different kinds of nets reduced the damages significantly by covering the plants. But the yield amount of the class 1-fruit didn’t increase as expected, in fact the amount of the class 2-fruits increased significantly what was not the effect the project was looking for. This development can be explained probably through the climate stress, the pollination problems and blossom damages during net covering. In two year old Malwina plants no damage control has been observed through the application of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae Isolat Ma43. Even though significantly higher yield amounts were observed in the past with M. anisopliae Isolat Ma43. Verticillium-Wilt: Several antagonists were tested on frigo plants in the cultivar Sonata and planted in a highly infested soil. Promot WP and the soil additives VermiGrand and Eifelgold haven’t reached significantly higher yield amounts while RhizoVital 42, RhizoStar and Plantasalva showed yield amount below the control. Also in a highly infested soil eleven strawberry cultivars were testes for their resistance to Verticillium-Wilt and their fitness. Compared to the control cultivar Honeoye the cultivars Ultyma, Dely, Christine and Elianny showed a higher fitness. The cultivars Fenella, and Candiss showed less healthy plants and more plants with serious symptoms than the control cultivar Honeoye.

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