Recent News
Successful 2022 Field Day highlighted in Fruit Growers News
Nov 23, 2022
Our highly-attended 2022 Field Day was highlighted in a recent issue of Fruit Growers News. The article discusses the robotic strawberry harvester (Advanced Farm Technologies Inc.) showcased in our AUTOMATION area; Our ENTOMOLOGY team's research project assessing the effectiveness of ultraviolet-C radiation in arthropod management; And on the PATHOLOGY side, which varieties perform well against root rots, plastic color comparisons and drip tape irrigation as it relates to Macrophomina root rot.
https://tinyurl.com/FGN-FD2022
"Cal Poly strawberry research: Can robots kill pests?"
by Chris Koger, Managing Editor
Strawberry center receives grant for innovative pest management systems in strawberry
Nov 22, 2022
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation awarded Dr. John Lin, our Center's Automation program director, a grant aimed at promoting the understanding and adoption of UV-C light technology by California's strawberry growers. Lin will lead the research team in showcasing to growers the benefits and advantages of UV-C light as a non-chemical, sustainable alternative to pesticides for controlling pests such as powdery mildew and other potential arthropod pests (e.g., mites).
https://tinyurl.com/y2shw4ma
Automated Strawberry Plug Transplanter Demonstration, Santa Maria CA
Nov 17, 2022
After plug plants are grown in a greenhouse and hardened off outdoors, they are transported to the field where they are work crews load them into rotating cups on the plug transplanter rig. The transplanter rig punches holes through the plastic into the soil ahead of the rotating cups, which then drop plants into the holes. Wheels run on both sides of planted plug to compress the soil. Crews then perform quality checks on transplanted plugs.
Lygus Bug Roundtable Meeting hosted by CSC
Nov 15, 2022
A small round table meeting was hosted by the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) in Santa Maria to help mediate a discussion on concerns of high lygus bug populations.
See our recent Center blog post to view presentation slides and learn more:
https://tinyurl.com/lygus-roundtable
Interactive career workshop held for Center students
Nov 15, 2022
We are grateful to CAFES Career Counselor Hannah Steen for affording another career workshop opportunity to our Center students! Hannah facilitated the interactive workshop "Evaluating Job Offers and Negotiating Salaries", held at the Strawberry Center on 3 Nov 2022. She presented salary negotiation information, tips and insights; As well as discussed effective ways to evaluate job offer(s) and navigate the post-offer terrain.
Thank you, Hannah!
Strawberry Center researchers part of $6.2M USDA grant
Nov 10, 2022
Strawberry Center researchers are part of multi-institutional $6.2 million USDA four-year grant awarded to PI Dr. Steve Knapp at UC Davis and a team of researchers at six research institutions around the country. The project focuses on addressing expanding and emerging threats to strawberries, such as climate change and possible restrictions on chemical use. Advanced plant breeding, gene editing and other technologies will be essential to ensuring that strawberry crops are sustainable into the future.
The Strawberry Center's role in this project will be in characterizing the interaction of abiotic stressors (e.g., temperature, moisture, salts) on Macrophomina crown rot, an emerging threat to strawberry growers.
https://tinyurl.com/uc-davis-awarded-grant
TRANSPLANTING DAY 2022
Nov 8, 2022
2.5 acres and over 50,000 plants
We realize that these are not big numbers for any commercial grower, but it's a big day for our small team at the Strawberry Center because our whole season of research starts here!
Unlike some years where temperatures soared over 95F, we had a nice cool (high of 71F/22C), sunny day for transplanting last Wednesday 2 Nov 2022. We are extremely grateful to our team of students, staff and the labor crews who made it happen in one day.
A special shout-out to Darensberries/BlazerWilkinsonGee and Good Farms for sending two labor crews to help us plant and to Lassen Canyon Nursery for donating bareroot transplants. The work is long and tiring, but scanning across the bed tops dotted with beautiful strawberry transplants at the end of the day makes every bent back and deep knee bend worth it!
2022 BEDDING UP at the Strawberry Center
Nov 4, 2022
In preparation for planting this season, Strawberry Center students Anthony Bella (M.S. Agriculture, Crop Science concentration) operates the rototiller/bed shaper combination implement and Colin Koubek (B.S. Plant Sciences) follows up with some shovel work to fill in the gaps (top photo); Stella Buford (B.S. Agr Systems Mgmt) injecting drip tape onto finished beds (bottom photo). Fine textured soil like this are not easy to make strawberry beds out of! Once beds are shaped and plastic put down, transplanting will take place.
Hawk-simulating kite used in research project
Nov 1, 2022
Led by center plant pathologist Dr. Shashika Hewavitharana and Master's student Mary Steele, the Wheat Cover Crop research project is in its second year. The project evaluates the impact of wheat as a cover crop on the severity of Macrophomina root rot of strawberry. Shown here about a week after sowing wheat seeds is protective netting (on top of soil) and a kite simulating a hawk in efforts to keep resident birds from impacting the study.
Strawberry Center Disease Diagnostic Service
Oct 31, 2022
About the plant disease diagnostic service
Soil-borne pathogens such as Macrophomina phaseolina are challenging strawberry production as they become increasingly prevalent across California (Fig. 1). Accurate disease diagnosis is the cornerstone of integrated pest management. The Strawberry Center’s disease diagnostic service has been serving California strawberry growers since its inception in 2014. This diagnostic service, fully funded by the California Strawberry Commission, is free to all California strawberry growers, pest control advisors, breeding programs, and industry partners. Diseased strawberry plant samples are self-collected and submitted to the Strawberry Center for disease diagnosis. As part of their participation in the Strawberry Academy, Cal Poly student assistants process submitted plant samples, gaining valuable pathology laboratory experience and training.
Read full blog post @ https://strawberrycenterblog.com/2022/10/31/cal-poly-strawberry-center-disease-diagnostic-service/
