Amanda L. McWhirtPhD Student, Dept. of Crop Science

Sustainable Soil Management Practices for Strawberries: Evaluation of Individual and Integrated Approaches

Dr. Michelle Schroeder-MorenoDept. of Crop Science, NC State University

Asst. Director of Educational Programs, CEFS

Sustainable Strawberry Production Begins

with Increasing Soil Health

• High susceptibility to soil borne diseases

• System dependent on fumigation that

diminishes beneficials in addition to pests

• Unhealthy soils can lead to more

pesticide and fertilizer inputs

• Healthy soils can improve strawberry

growth and yield over the long term.

With fumigation restrictions increasing,

there is a critical need for sustainable pest

and soil management for both conventional

and organic strawberry producers

Project Overview

• Priority Area:

– “improving soil quality and health in the production

system for succeeding crops”.

– “reducing chemical inputs for soil sterilization,

fertilization, weed control and pest management”.

Target Area: Soil health challenges in NC and SE

strawberry production

Addressing the Priority Areas

Objective 1.

• Examine the individual and integrated effects of the

sustainable soil and pest management practices in

conventionally fumigated and non-fumigated systems, on

strawberry yields, growth, nutrient uptake, fruit quality, above-

ground arthropod pests, soil quality and economic indicators.

Objective 2.

• Promote the transfer of technical and educational

knowledge of these practices in strawberry production

systems among farmers, extension agents, researchers and

students.

Outcomes

• Research

• Extension– Demonstration Video

– Webinar

– Conference Presentations

– Extension Publication

– Media Outreach

Research

• Built off previous research from our NCSU multidisciplinary team• Application to fumigated systems?

• Need to make recommendations to both conventional and organic

strawberry growers in our region • Specific impacts in each of their production systems.

Current Experiment:

– Compost

– Cover Crops

– Beneficial Soil inoculants

• Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

• Vermicompost

– Individually and in Combinations under both fumigated and non-fumigated

plasticulture

Research

• Bullets go here

ExtensionDemonstration Video

Webinar

March 11th, 2014

Presenters:

Dr. Hannah Burrack

Dr. Michelle Schroeder-

Moreno

Amanda McWhirt

Webinar Impacts

• 87.5% of participants said it is “likely” they will implement a sustainable practice in the coming year (2014-2015)

Conference Presentations

Mid-American Strawberry Growers Conference February 2014Soil Health Presentation, Dr. Schroeder-Moreno

Soil Quality and Health Presentations, Dr. Schroeder-Moreno

NC Strawberry Association NC Strawberry Association

Extension Publication

Currently in final production,Stay tuned!

Outlines sustainable soil management practices (compost,

cover crops, inoculants), IPM, planning production schedule

Media Outreach

• Use of various outlets to reach growers in our region

Project Impact

• Directly Increased:

– Grower awareness and understanding of soil

health in strawberry production

– Increased likelihood to implement sustainable

practices in the coming production cycle

(2014-2015)• Predict to make better recommendations to growers about the

incorporation of sustainable practices, resulting in increases to soil

health

On Going Impacts

• Planned collaboration with growers to implement these

practices on-farm

• 2nd field season of Research Project

• Continued outreach/ education through various media

outlets

• Release of Extension Publication

• Further increases to soil health and reductions in chemical

inputs resulting from increased implementation of sustainable

practices

Thank you for the support!

http://www.cropsci.ncsu.edu/SchroederMorenoLab/

http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/

Email: michelle_schroeder@ncsu.edu