Strawberry cultivation

Strawberry cultivation is one of the most popular crops in the world. Since 1990, world strawberry production has almost quadrupled from 2.5 million tonnes to 9.2 million tonnes in 2021. The main producers are United States, Turkey, Spain, Egypt and Colombia, with Spain being the leader in fresh fruit export.

The strawberry plant, belonging to the Rubiaceae family, is greatly influenced by different factors:

1. Temperature: Although strawberries adapt well to many types of climates and can withstand extreme temperatures, they should be ideally kept at an annual average of 15-20ºC. The critical moment of their life cycle is flower development and fruit setting, as temperatures below 0ºC and above 32ºC could cause abortion or premature flower drop.
2. Humidity: Relative humidity should be between 65 and 75%. If the humidity is deficient, it will cause damage to the fruits, increasing fruit waste, while if it is too high, it will increase the probability of the appearance of crop diseases.
3. Amount of irrigation water: The amount of irrigation water should vary according to climatic and soil conditions, being more frequent in summer and more limited in winter. Sufficient water should be distributed throughout all stages of the crop, as lack of water will worsen the quality of the fruit and the total yield.
4. Light: The hours of light are important to maintain productivity and to guarantee a good performance of the photosynthetic apparatus of the plant. On average, strawberries should have 10-12 hours of light per day.
5. Type of soil: Sandy or sandy loam soils, allowing high aeration and good drainage, but with some water retention capacity. Soils with 20% clay, 15% limestone and about 5% organic matter constitute an optimal substrate for strawberry growth.

Some important quality parameters of strawberries once ripe and harvested are the sugar concentration (ºBrix) and the acidity of the fruit, which can be directly measured in the field with the help of a refractometer and a mini titrator, respectively.

Nutritional needs of strawberries

Regarding nutritional needs, a good fertilization supply is important to optimize the crop yield. NPK needs must be considered, as well as other nutrients, such as calcium or magnesium. Nor should we forget the importance of a good supply of organic matter. Do you want to know why?

• Nitrogen, the main nutrient for plant growth, stolon growth and flower bud formation. It must be supplied throughout the whole life cycle to promote the overall growth of the plant.
• Phosphorus, involved in vital plant functions, such as energy transport, photosynthesis, nutrient movement and cell multiplication.
• Potassium plays a key role in cell elongation, water use of the plant and carbohydrate synthesis. A proper potassium supply will allow strawberries to synthesize more sugars, more vitamin C and more fruit, increasing the quantity and quality of the fruit.
• Calcium strengthens and thickens the cell walls, resulting in firmer fruits. Calcium deficiency causes a physiological disease called marginal necrosis (or tip burn), which is evidenced by the appearance of necrosis in the youngest areas of the leaves.
• Magnesium, a molecule that is found in chlorophyll, is crucial for the transformation of energy into sugars and plant nutrition. Magnesium deficiencies are common in strawberries, and must be solved as fruits tend to albinism when deficiencies of this nutrient occur.

At Herogra Especiales, we have a wide range of specific products designed to increase plant yield and fruit quality, increasing the economic benefit after strawberry cultivation.

At the time of transplanting, it is vital to handle the plant properly in order to promote seedling rooting. For that purpose, we recommend the use of TOTEM, a last generation rooting biostimulant based on extremophile microorganisms thanks to the Orygin 2.0 technology.

For a good plant development, we recommend Herofol Denso Verde, a fertilizer in a gel form which is rich in nitrogen and also contains phosphorus, potassium and the main chelated micronutrients. This product, with an optimal pH for plant uptake, also contains the XR47 activator, which boosts the plant photosynthetic capacity.

During flowering and for a good fruit setting, we recommend ECOTOP, a biostimulant with the fruit setting enhancer ST14 that provides energy to the crop, increases the photosynthetic pigments levels, reduces damage caused by stress and boosts the plant natural hormonal environment. This together with the high quality Ascophyllum nodosum algae extract and the ideal balance of zinc, boron and molybdenum, makes ECOTOP an ideal product to optimize fruit setting in our crops.

For fruit growth, a great option is the supply of Herofol Denso Rojo, a fertilizer in the form of a gel which is rich in potassium. Thanks to its formulation, where we find many other nutrients and the XR47 activator, it promotes the production of sugars and their transport to the fruit. This improves the development and increases the total yield and quality of the fruit.

To avoid problems such as tip-burn, it is essential to supply the crop with the correct amount of calcium. For this purpose, we recommend Calcifruit Complex, a natural calcium corrector that is easily absorbed, suitable for root and foliar use, which allows a good development of the most sensitive plant tissues.

Finally, in Huelva (the most important strawberry producing area in Spain) soils normally have salinity problems, to which strawberries are very sensitive. To combat this problem, we recommend Herosal, a product with highly complexed calcium, which has a high exchange activity between calcium and sodium cations. This frees the soil from excess salinity, restructures the clay-humic complex and improves the soil structure, promoting water distribution and aeration.