Recent News
Strawberry Center well represented at CAFES Research Spring Symposium
Jun 6, 2023
The Strawberry Center was well represented at the CAFES Research Symposium this spring! We had five exceptional participants. Lydia Tavoletti wowed as an undergraduate finalist, while graduate students Samantha Simard, Cooper Calvin, Kiley Jensen, and Mary Steele delivered outstanding presentations. A huge congratulations to Mary for securing first place in the graduate student category!
We extend our gratitude to the students who represented the Strawberry Center with utmost excellence, your dedication and achievements make us immensely proud. It's truly rewarding to witness our program and research being recognized at the symposium.
Photos:
Upper left: Kiley Jensen, MS Student
Upper right: Mary Steele, MS Student
Center: Samantha Simard, MS Student
Bottom: (left to right) Gerald Holmes, Shashika Hewavitharana, Mary Steele, Lydia Tavoletti, Cooper Calvin
Cal Poly Entomology students use strawberry field for scouting exercise
May 26, 2023
Cal Poly Plant Sciences Department entomologist Dr. David Headrick brought students from his Insect Pest Management class (PLSC 431) out to our strawberry field to obtain hands-on experience in scouting and evaluating crops for insect pests and damage. In preparation for a project where students will process a much larger, commercial-sized lemon orchard, Dr. Headrick utilized our strawberry field to run students through timed exercises that teach and challenge them in balancing time and accuracy when scouting for aphids and mites. Dr. Headrick commented "I am grateful to have this strawberry field available to provide a learn-by-doing experience for my students!". 
Dave Murray (Good Farms) gives lecture at Cal Poly
May 24, 2023
Dave Murray (Partner, Good Farms) gave a lecture (3 May 2023) at Cal Poly on "Crisis Response Issues Management". This is a topic rarely addressed in undergraduate education. Our students have a front row seat, listening to professionals who are in the trenches and willing to impart important lessons learned in the real world.
While here, Dave shared his thoughts about the Center: "The Cal Poly Strawberry Center has effectively become the hub of our industry for field research and automation. But more importantly ... thanks to the steadfast dedication of leadership and staff, the Center has created a culture that attracts top-quality students from all fields of study....some of whom will shape the future of strawberry production in California." Thank you Dave for making the trip to Cal Poly and sharing your crisis management wisdom and knowledge with our our students!
View Dave's full presentation on our Center YouTube channel @ https://youtu.be/mpsHjCNbUPs
Register for the Cal Poly Strawberry Center Field Day
May 19, 2023
7th Annual Cal Poly Strawberry Center Field Day
Aug. 3, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
https://tinyurl.com/FD2023-reg-open
Join more than 400 strawberry growers, researchers and industry representatives for this year’s Strawberry Center Field Day. Participants will rotate through stations, hearing from
Cal Poly students and staff about the latest research taking place at the Strawberry Center. Topics include the newest automation technology, predatory mites, soil-borne pathogens of strawberry and much more! We look forward to sharing the center's latest research and happenings. Learn more about the seventh annual field day.
Sponsorship Opportunities are Still Available
We are excited to partner with your company to create our most successful Field Day yet. Information about sponsorship opportunities is available online @ https://strawberry.calpoly.edu/field-day-2023-sponsorship-opportunities or email Julie Tillman at jutillma@calpoly.edu for more information.
May 20 is National Strawberry Picking Day!
May 19, 2023
Today, we honor the hardworking farmers who bring us fresh strawberries from farm to table.
National Picking Strawberries Day reminds us of the incredible journey that food takes from farm to table. It starts with dedicated farmers who work tirelessly to bring us fresh, nutritious food. Let's take a moment to thank them for their dedication and hard-working efforts!
We also want to thank all our Strawberry Center employees for picking Cal Poly’s delicious strawberries!
MS students Mary Steele and Cooper Calvin present at workshop
May 17, 2023
Congratulations to Center Master's students Cooper Calvin and Mary Steele for winning registration awards at the 68th Annual Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens and the 53rd California Nematology Workshop, both held in Watsonville this past March!
Mary spoke on the effect of wheat cover crop on Macrophomina root rot and rhizosphere microbiome in strawberry while Cooper presented on black root rot complex and pathogenicity of Pythium spp. in California strawberries, both important pathogens that heavily impact strawberry fruit development.
We were also excited to see former Master's student Yu-Chen Wang in her new element as a Plant Pathology Advisor at the UCCE Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito counties office in Watsonville, CA!
What is the most popular strawberry cultivar grown in California?
May 16, 2023
It depends on what year(s) you’re interested in and if you’re talking about public or proprietary cultivars. For example, if you’re talking about 2022, ‘Monterey’ was the most popular public cultivar, grown on 10,003 acres or 33.4% of the total acreage grown in the state.
Read full story in our NEWEST BLOG POST.
Long-time student assistant Anthony Bella defending MS thesis
May 10, 2023
We are extremely proud of long-time Center student employee Anthony Bella! After much hard work, he will be defending tomorrow (Thursday) his Master's Thesis titled "Optimizing Irrigation as a Strategy to Reduce Nitrogen Inputs in Central Coast Broccoli Production". We have been lucky to have Anthony working with us as a student assistant for 3 years now. We are excited to see what his future holds!
CAFES Master's Thesis Defense, MS. in Agriculture, Crop Science
Anthony Bella
Thursday, May 11, 2:10 p.m.
In person: Building 83, Ist Floor Conference Room, Cal Poly campus
Zoom ID: 846 8598 0407
Senior VP for California Strawberry Commission Chris Christian gives lecture at Cal Poly
May 9, 2023
Chris Christian (Senior Vice President, California Strawberry Commission) gave a lecture (19 April 2023) at Cal Poly on "Insights on the North American Strawberry Market". Our students are really getting a front row seat for the strawberry industry by listening to such seasoned professionals like Chris, who has 20 years of experience.
"I was honored to meet with the students at the Strawberry Center, who represent the future success of our industry", Chris mentioned in talking about her visit to campus. Thank you Chris for making the trip to Cal Poly and imparting your extensive strawberry market/marketing knowledge and experience to our students!
View Chris' full presentation on our Center YouTube channel @ https://youtu.be/2PpalD_p-XA
Strawberry Center seeking Research Entomologist
May 5, 2023
The Strawberry Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo invites applications for a Strawberry Research Entomologist. The Strawberry Center’s mission is to increase the sustainability of California’s $3.1 billion strawberry industry through applied research and education. The Strawberry Center is closely aligned with the California strawberry industry and receives significant financial and advisory support from the California Strawberry Commission. The successful applicant is expected to develop a strong applied research program addressing applied entomological problems for the strawberry industry.
✭ See full job posting: https://www.calpolycorporationjobs.org/postings/1943
