$2 Million Grant To Sweeten Pot For Organic Strawberry Studies
November 5, 2015 Thanks to a new $2 million federal grant, researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will address production constraints for organic strawberry producers.
The grant comes from the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program, which is administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a division of USDA.
According to Mickie Swisher, the project will focus on the effectiveness of cover crops as a supplementary weed management technique, used in conjunction with plastic mulch.
The UF/IFAS team also will examine how using cover crops affects other considerations like soil quality, nutrient availability and soilborne plant pathogenic nematodes. In addition, a horticulturist will assess how different strawberry cultivars respond to the use of cover crops, searching for the cultivars that will adapt best to the system. An entomologist will focus on the systems’ influence on beneficial insects and on the management of key pests such as spotted wing drosophila and two-spotted spider mites.
The ongoing research project is supported by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association as well as Driscoll Strawberry Associates.
Florida Organic Growers and Consumers Inc. will contribute by coordinating outreach activities during the final year of the grant.
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