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Everbeares and junebearers – plantmodels to a higher level

Everbearer June bearer

Willem van Eldik manager soft fruit team/senior

consultant Delphy www.delphy.nl

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Many systems, possibilities.

June Everbearer

What we have to do/learn

Wanted/needed is a flat (forecasted) quality fruit

schedule

4

/

5

Challenges to solve and slowlyare solved:

labour costs (amount & fluctuation)

Yield pattern

Fruit quality trough the production season

Pests & diseases

Frigo becomes tray plants

Why everbearer cultivation

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June bearers still popular for (early spring crops),

changed for an early everbearer crop, in this case

Murano.

Current state: More coincidence than wisdom right now.

Tests that are happening now are transplanting certain plant types year after year and each time totally different or roughly the same results.

What is the goal?

Predicting the production that is related to the energy balance in order to ultimately steer an everbearer better.

Current state:

What resources are needed to achieve that goal?

Set up plant test fields that are large enough to be able to perform flower research with

different plant types.

Current state:

Describe plant types:

Number of leaf positions

Number of crowns per plant, all plants equal

Conditions in which a certain plant type is planted out; for example, plant out April or/and June.

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Setup:

Test 2020 shall made with Murano / Favori

Tray plant: profiles

2 crowns & 3 crowns mini tray

4 crowns tray plant

Setup:

Planting date: April 1 / May 1 / June 1

Flower research: 5 per test field and 6 different test fields = 30 plants

Leave positions/Leave area =>LAI ???

Production

Fruit counts

Flower counts

Setup:

Growing time: label every truss when the flower becomes white.

Continue to preserve GDH and count back standard or change possibly in other GDH

Photosynthesis measurements

Setup:

Efficiency of light and CO2

Use GrowWatch

Dry matter analysis; leave and fruits: the following is how it used at Elsanta.

Fresh weight + diameter of fruit + percentage of dry matter per diameter

Fruits of 1/2/3 cm diameter

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Setup: Flowers development => stages

Leaves development, => LAI

Climate control, influences

24-hour temperature with GDH countings

Day and night temperature

Light sum => radiation

CO2 influences (greenhouses)

Everbearer protected crop

• glass:

– Planting September, October - January.

– Planting after early crop Clery/Sonata/sonsation

– Planting after long spring crop of Elsanta/Malling C.

• Tunnels (in soil, gutters substrate, table top)

– Planting march

• Table top.

– Planting end march-begin April

Growing period

Holland

Table top everbearer everbearer

glass early everbearer

Glass summer autumn everbearer glass autumn everbaerer

Open field

March April May June July August September October Novem

ber

production low

normal

much

Everbearer: Substrate Grown

16/

25

Traditional 5 row Table Top System :

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17/

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Last years, quick came the introduction everbearer

tray plant which are at the propagation field totally

developed/prepared for quick (long) cropping

Tray plant => better; fruit shape, fruit size; weight per

strawberry

Today the professional grower gives the attention to tray

plants for a regulate quality production

Quick came the introduction

everbearer tray plant which are

at the propagation field totally

developed/prepared for quick

(long) cropping

Greenhouse

runners/stolons

Mother plants.

Disease prevention, more

better stronger stolons

Doesn't want to say that

field stolons are (more)

worse

stolons

Quality, the line from mother plant to good tray

propagation

Health quality of the stolons, first important step for a

good tray plant.

Attention: stolon can be too old or too young.

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Planttypes everbearer

Normal trayplant: 2-3 crowns 4-6 trusses

mini tray: 2 crowns 4 trusses

plugplant: 1-2 crowns 2-4 trusses

Till 2 years ago planted, but is not planted anymore nowadays

frigo plant (A++ - A+ - A plant) 1 crown – 2 trusses

fresh plant (Stolon in same year as production)

Minitray everbearer; many use this ones in between

mini tray: 2 crowns 4 trusses to start with

mini tray: 1 crown, 2 trusses, not wished plant type Minitray everbearer; many use this ones in between

mini tray: 2 crowns 4 trusses to start with

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mini tray: 1 and 2 crowns 4 trusses, prefer to start

with the 2 crowns

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Normal tray: 4 crowns many trusses, big first flush

wished when short growing season, not wished

when longer season with flat cropping schedule.

Optimize the coming years everbearer production

Plant distance

7 pl/m1 6 pl/m1 5 pl/m1

Murano X X X

Furore X X X

Favori X X X

Plant system 2018 was almost standard 6 plants

per meter

Some have 7 pl/m some 5 pl/m

Flower initiation everbearers

Temperature is most important

Minimum day temperature per variety depending: 10-12°C

Lowest on daytime 13-14°C

Max temperature 25°C (high=> negative by a heavy plant

load)

Day length >13 hour

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Flower initiation Junebearers

Conditions flower initiation

Junebearers are accessible for flower initiation

when:

24-hour temperature falls below 15 ⁰C;

Radiation sum below than 1500 joules / cm²;

Day length is less than 13 hours.

Flower initiation Junebearers

the characteristics when plants have started flower development:

Rosette growth of the plant.

Short new leafs than the older leafs.

Stop of runner growth

Clear visible tap roots

Flower initiation Junebearers

When the plants have not started flower development it is recommended not or minimize the fertilization. When too high fertilization is applied risk occurs start of flower development is delayed further more. When the signs are visible fertilization could be started. The right fertilization line is depending on the desired plant type. This could vary between 3 to 6+ trusses plants. When needed the fertilization could be adjusted. Extra measurements that could help whether or not to adjust fertilization is flower mapping, dry matter analyses and or plant sap analysis.

Optimizing results Improving production

Optimizing overall yield pattern

Using different plant types or plant dates

- Spread of labor

- Spread of overall production

- Deal with a higher cost price or optimize and

reduce

Retaining plant balance

Removing trusses or limit fruits per truss

- Keeping balance, but not practical

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Goals for the grower / grower

Harvest profile

Variety (marketing)

Plant type, plant date, plant distance

Benefits

Intensive use of plant material

Long-term harvest period

Production, fruit size, firmness, taste

Picking levels

Challenges

Crop care (labour)

Diseases and insects pressure

Stable crop (harvest) development (work spread)

Challenge to create a flat production schedule

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Soft fruit deserves all attention

Thank you for

your attention