Sorry guys, no video this week. On a side note, if anyone finds a black
camera case in their strawberry field, please let me know.
The strawberry season is wrapping for many. The hot weather has really hastened the
maturity on many varieties in the valley.
There has also been some sunscald particularly on strawberries in the
valley area with smaller canopies. This
was mostly caused by extreme heat on June 24th.
Movement has been very good through most of the season, with
only this week showing any signs of a price weakening. Now that the major chains are off ad, with
consumers belly’s full, demand may slow down a little.
So for some growers it is a good time to be done and move
onto the renovation process. The
renovation process is very important in setting up next year’s yield. It is very important not to get lost in
process and keep an eye on the goals:
-Maintain optimal plant density and
canopy structure.
-Promote runner growth and renew
fruiting crown health. This maybe
important for some growers after 2024’s establishment year left some stands
thinner than they should be.
-Reduce disease and pest pressure
by improving airflow and sanitation.
-Establish a strawberry plant ready
to produce floral buds on August 20th. Why is this date important? The amount of day length switches from 12
hours of sunlight to longer than 12 hours of night, causing the plant to initiate
fruit bud development. If we are still
trying to establish the plant at this time of year, it will not maximize the
number of fruit buds.
I have sent around a table on the renovation process in the
past and you can find it by clicking here.
For a little more information on the process please take the
time to read through the steps below:
- Assess
and Terminate as Needed
-Decide what stays vs. what is
terminated.
-Terminate using Roundup + broad-spectrum
insecticide if necessary.
- After termination it would be a
great time to plant some warm season cover crop like pearl millet in order to
get the field in shape for the next crop
- Disease
and Insect Protection (Pre-Herbicide)
-We typically want to jump right
into herbicide application, but lets pause and think about when the last time
was that we looked for or applied an aphidicide? Maybe we should have a look
for aphids, apply some water to relieve plant stress or think about root
diseases. Another insect we may want to
have a look for this time of year is the root weevil adult, which could be
feeding on the foliage leaving their tell tale “c” shaped wholes in the leaves.
-Now maybe a good time to apply an
aphicide like Admire and a fungicide like one of the phosphites for root health.
- Weed
Control Herbicide (Before Mowing)
Choose
one:
-2,4-D @ 0.6 L/ac → Mow in 2–3
days
-Lontrel XC @ 120 mL/ac → Mow in
7–10 days
2,4-D is good on common annuals.
Lontrel is tougher on vetch, clovers and sheep sorrel.
-If weeds aren’t bad hand removal
may be the route to take.
- Mow
(as above, based on herbicide choice)
-Make sure not to cause crown
damage while mowing. Mow 1.4-2 inches above the crowns.
- Fertilization
-Apply 50–60 units of N + P + K
-Avoid 0-0-60 due to potential salt
injury.
- Cyclamen
Mite Control
-Look for Cyclamen mite under a
microscope by examining the newly unfolding leaves. This should be applied before the canopy gets
too large and impacts coverage.
-Agri-Mek or Magister plus surfactant
-Apply ~2 weeks after herbicide
- Residual
Weed Control
-5 days after Agri-Mek or Magister,
apply Sinbar during rainfall
- Grassy
Weed Control
-10 days after Sinbar, apply Poast
or Venture
- Avoid
overlap with Sinbar this helps to avoid increased uptake of the sinbar leading
to damage:
-Wait 10–14 days between Sinbar
and 2,4-D/Lontrel
-Wait 10–14 days between Sinbar
and Venture
-Wait 5–7 days between Sinbar and
Agri-Mek
9. Ongoing maintain fungicide applications for:
-Powdery mildew
-Leaf spot
-Anthracnose
Some tricks performed by some growers:
-Aliette or another phosphite
pre-herbicide to restore root health.
-Apogee to suppress excess runner
formation if the stand is very dense.
-Chain harrow to thin old crowns
and reduce density. This is only used
in older and dense stands.
-Ignite (glufosinate) for weed
control and row narrowing.
-Deep ripping/tillage to alleviate
compaction and improve drainage between rows.
This can alleviate black root rot and improve root health.
-Provide 1 inch of water per week (rain
or irrigation) after renovation to support plant recovery and nutrient uptake.
