UUDISED

GOOD PROJECT EXAMPLE: Extension of Strawberry Cropping Season

The problem to be solved

In Estonia, the problem in terms of strawberry production is the shortness of the strawberry season and an excess of supply in midsummer. Therefore, the prices drop too low for profitable production. The problems are related to the production technology used all over Estonia: short-day varieties are grown outdoors in unprotected field conditions. Innovation activities focused on testing the growing of everbearing varieties in polytunnels with the objective to:

• Identify everbearing high-yield strawberry varieties with the taste and aroma acceptable to Estonian consumers.
• Identify suitable growing substrates for everbearing strawberry varieties.
• Find out whether everbearing varieties can survive winter in Estonian conditions.

Project outcomes

The following objectives of the innovation activities were met:

• It was established that peat substrate gives much better results than coconut substrate when producing strawberries in tunnels. The result applies to all four tested varieties.
• The favourite everbearing strawberry variety of Estonian consumers was identified: the variety is FF1604.
• It was established that everbearing strawberry varieties are not capable of overwintering properly and therefore, it would be feasible to grow them as annual crops.
• In the first test year, the strawberry season was extended up to 13 weeks (in comparison, the cropping season of cold-stored plants grown unprotected in open fields is 4-6 weeks).
• In the second year, the test plants produced yield already in May. In early summer, the price of strawberries was high and it enabled profitable production even though everbearing varieties with winter damage did not produce a high yield.

To extend the strawberry cropping season in Estonia, investments in agrotechnical methods, which enable planting of Frigo strawberry plants already in early spring (at the beginning of March or earlier), should be made, to be able to harvest up to three crops from a plant. It will extend the early cropping season when the sale price of strawberries is the highest. In addition to FF1604, other strawberry varieties with a taste acceptable to Estonian consumers, as well as for consumers of neighbouring countries, should be explored.