In a significant boost to the strawberry industry, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, with the California Strawberry Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), has been granted $1 million in federal funding. This funding, received through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, and set to recur in subsequent years, marks a milestone in the effort to expand research and development in strawberry automation, sustainability, and workforce development.
A diverse group of stakeholders will be brought together to help revolutionize strawberry farming through the development and implementation of cutting-edge technologies that focus on critical aspects of farming, harvesting, and processing. Financial resources will be directed towards applied research in the field, supporting innovative solutions that promote sustainable food production.
By offering hands-on experience, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center aims to cultivate a new generation of industry leaders with the skills and expertise required to address pest and disease challenges, while also improving efficiency and safety. In an effort to drive innovative solutions, the initiative emphasizes current, prevalent issues in the strawberry industry and the need for creative problem solving.
“This project will train the next generation of industry stewards, who will be well-versed in crop production technologies, and prepare them to become future leaders in agricultural technology,” said Gerald Holmes, director of the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, in a recent news release.
While the Cal Poly Strawberry Center prepares students for the industry, the California Strawberry Commission is optimistic about enhancing today’s farms.
“The California Strawberry Commission and the Strawberry Center are constantly working to provide California strawberry family farming operations with the latest in farming automation,” said Rick Tomlinson, president of the California Strawberry Commission, in a recent news release. “And this grant will certainly aid expanding automated farming practices.”
In its initial year, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center’s multi-year project will focus on the development of high-tech machinery capable of autonomously cutting off runners. Following phases will target the removal of weeds and unhealthy plant material in open-field production, which allows for a non-chemical approach to pest control while increasing yield.
The Strawberry Center’s track record has proven successful over the last five years with the development and commercialization of the latest version of the lygus bug vacuum, a spray rig, decapper, plastic hole puncher, and hoop house disassembler.
California produced 90% of the strawberries grown in the United States in 2021. Strawberries contribute $3.1 billion in direct impacts and an additional $2.1 billion in indirect impacts to California’s economy, making it the highest-value per-acre crop in the state. This federal funding injection is poised to augment production, resulting in a higher-quality product. Increased production will also bolster global competitiveness in the face of imports.
Main photo: A strawberry research field at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Photo: Cal Poly Strawberry Center
