Greenhouse Strawberry Production Research Articles

Enhancing greenhouse strawberry irrigation: integrating IoT technologies and low-cost moisture sensors in substrate

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, particularly sensor-based systems, is revolutionizing agriculture, including strawberry cultivation in greenhouses. Furthermore, the use of wireless communication technologies, alongside efficient data storage and visualization platforms, can enhance monitoring and decision-making capabilities. This study aimed to calibrate and verify the real-time operation of the low-cost SKU SEN0193 V2.0 sensor and the SHT20 in strawberry cultivation substrate, evaluating IoT technologies for data transmission, including LoRa, InfluxDB for storage, and Grafana for visualization and monitoring. The adaptability and accuracy of the SHT20 and SKU SEN0193 V2.0 sensors were tested in laboratory and greenhouse strawberry crops. Water retention curves in the substrate were determined using the Haines Funnel, while recording sensor measurements simultaneously for calibration. For real-time monitoring, sensors were placed in two slabs with strawberry plants in a greenhouse. InfluxDB stored the data, and Grafana visualized it. While the SHT20 sensor showed limited suitability for substrates due to its lack of response to moisture variations, SKU SEN0193 V2.0 produced excellent results, detecting changes in moisture content in both laboratory and greenhouse tests. Sensor-specific calibration for greenhouse slabs is crucial. The utilization of data storage and visualization tools like InfluxDB and Grafana facilitated real-time data manipulation, demonstrating their potential for enhancing irrigation management in greenhouse strawberry production.

Increasing Cyetpyrafen Spray Volume and Ozone Spray Improves the Control Effects against Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae) in Strawberries.

The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is a constant threat to greenhouse strawberry production. The application of synthetic acaricides is the main method of controlling T. urticae. However, resistance development to traditional acaricides reduces their efficacy and eventually leads to control failure. It is important for strawberry growers to look for new acaricides and application technologies that can limit the harmfulness of T. urticae in environmentally friendly ways. In the current study, laboratory toxicity tests and field trials were performed to screen high-efficiency acaricides, and then application technologies were improved to enhance the management of T. urticae. In the laboratory toxicity tests, the results showed that the LC50 (median lethal concentration) value of cyetpyrafen, cyenopyrafen, cyflumetofen, bifenazate, abamectin, azocyclotin, pyridaben, spirodiclofen, and etoxazole against adult T. urticae was 0.226, 0.240, 0.415, 3.583, 5.531, 25.58, 39.69, 140.3, and 267.7 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the LC50 value of the nine acaricides against eggs of T. urticae was 0.082, 0.097, 0.931, 18.56, 25.52, 45.61, 36.32, 1.954, and 0.040 mg/L, respectively. The field trial results showed that the best control effect was obtained in cyetpyrafen at 300 mL/ha treatment. Cyetpyrafen was chosen for further application technology tests. In the spray volume tests, the results showed that increasing the spray volume from 900 to 1050 L/ha significantly improved the control of T. urticae. In addition, the results from the spray instrument tests demonstrated that the control effects on T. urticae in the ozone spray treatments were significantly higher than those of the conventional and electrostatic sprays 1 and 3 days after treatment (DAT). Therefore, this study suggested that cyetpyrafen effectively controlled T. urticae both in the laboratory tests and in the field trials. Increasing the spray volume and application of ozone spray significantly improved T. urticae management.

Integration of the Generalist Predator Nabis americoferus (Hemiptera: Nabidae) in a Greenhouse Strawberry Biocontrol Program with Phytoseiid Predatory Mites and the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana.

In strawberry production, western flower thrips (WFT) and two-spotted spider mites (TSSM) inflict feeding damage and reduce the yield. Biological control for these pests often includes phytoseiid predatory mites and entomopathogenic fungi. The hemipteran family Nabidae have been reported as prominent predators in open-field strawberry. Nabis americoferus Carayon is a new biocontrol agent developed in Canada. This study examined if this species was a good candidate for integration with biological control for greenhouse strawberry production. The laboratory trials showed that Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot were compatible with N. americoferus, especially when alternative food was available. In contrast, the nabid was not compatible with the Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) GHA strain. A greenhouse cage study was conducted to determine if it was beneficial to add N. americoferus to the phytoseiid-mites-based biological control program for WFT and TSSM in greenhouse strawberry. The release of N. americoferus on a banker plant together with the placement of sachets of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) was beneficial, not only potentially reducing the number of sachet applications, but also providing better pest control than phytoseiid mites alone. Neither the phytoseiids nor the N. americoferus numbers were significantly affected by the presence of each other.

Combined nighttime ultraviolet B irradiation and phytoseiid mite application provide optimal control of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae on greenhouse strawberry plants.

Tetranychus urticae is a hard-to-control pest of greenhouse strawberry production. Nighttime ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation using light reflection sheets (LRS) has been applied as a physical method to control T. urticae through direct ovicidal effects (the UV method). However, because strawberry leaves grow more densely, UV-B radiation fails to reach the lower leaf surfaces inhabited by spider mites; therefore, a complementary method is required. We propose the supplemental application of phytoseiid mites in greenhouse strawberry production. We evaluated the control effects of UV-B irradiation, phytoseiid mite application and their combined use. The effects of UV-B irradiation on the degree of overlap relative to the independent distributions (ω) between predators and prey were also analyzed. The UV method alone maintained low T. urticae density levels from November to February; however, mite populations increased from March onward. Phytoseiid mite application in January and February without UV-B irradiation resulted in a temporary increase in spider mites in March and/or April. By contrast, combined application of the UV method and phytoseiid mites had a greater control effect during the strawberry growing season. The ω values were higher for the UV method compared with no UV-B irradiation, suggesting that UV-B irradiation increased phytoseiid mite foraging rates. The release of phytoseiid mites compensated for the shortcomings of the UV method, and UV-B irradiation promoted predation by phytoseiid mites by increasing the behavioral numerical response. Consequently, combined application of UV-B irradiation and phytoseiid mites is optimal for T. urticae control in greenhouse strawberry production. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comprehensive evaluation of the optimal rates of irrigation and potassium application for strawberry

Accurate and effective management of irrigation and fertilization is essential for efficient greenhouse strawberry production. Here, the effects of the combined application of water and potassium on strawberry growth were evaluated by experimenting with 12 treatments, including four transpiration (ETC)-based irrigation levels (W1: 100% ETC, W2: 85% ETC, W3: 70% ETC, and W4: 55% ETC) and three potassium levels according to the target yield (K1: 369.5 kg/hm2, K2: 307.9 kg/hm2, and K3: 246.3 kg/hm2). Various indexes of strawberry yield, fruit quality, water and fertilizer utilization efficiency, and soil nutrient residues were measured. Irrigation and potassium application had significant effects on strawberry production. Higher irrigation levels increased yield (Y), and moderate water and potassium application increased single fruit weight (SFW), water utilization efficiency (WUE), total soluble sugar (TSSC), and the sugar-acid ratio (SAR). While low-application of potassium increased the soluble protein content (SP), partial factor productivity of potassium (PFPK), and reduce nutrient residues in soil effectively. A comprehensive system for evaluating strawberry growth and its benefits to the soil environment was developed. The FAHP and CRITIC methods were used to calculate the subjective weight and objective weight of each index, respectively. The largest subjective weight was observed for Y (0.200), and the largest objective weight was observed for soil-available potassium (0.101). The final weight was determined using Game theory; Y had the highest weight (0.185), and free amino acids (FAA) had the lowest weight (0.047). Grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to evaluate the optimal irrigation and potassium scheme for accomplishing multiple objectives. The response of the comprehensive score of strawberries to irrigation and potassium exhibited a negative parabolic relationship, and the effect of irrigation was greater than the effect of potassium application. There was a significant interaction between irrigation and potassium application, and an irrigation amount of 2053-2525 m3/hm2 with a potassium application rate of 288.1-334.2 kg/hm2 was optimal for promoting strawberry yield, fruit quality, and efficiency and reducing soil nutrient residues. The results of this study provide new insights that could aid the development of sustainable approaches for enhancing agricultural production. Keywords: strawberry, irrigation, potassium, FAHP, CRITIC, nutrient residues DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20231602.7591 Citation: Yang X Q, Du R C, Zhang M C, Feng H W, Wang Z Q, Zhang Z. Comprehensive evaluation of the optimal rates of irrigation and potassium application for strawberry. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2023; 16(2): 65-72.

Crop-local CO2 enrichment improves strawberry yield and fuel use efficiency in protected cultivations

In protected strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivation, CO2 enrichment is essential to enhance both fruit quality and yield. Fuel burning generators are commonly used to supply CO2 to entire commercial greenhouse space. However, methods that are less fuel-based are desired for contemporary agricultural practices. A new crop-local CO2 enrichment system using a modified fuel-burning generator has been developed to increase yields and decrease the fuel required for CO2 enrichment in greenhouse strawberry production. This crop-local CO2 enrichment (CLC) method directly supplies CO2 from perforated tubes set in the interrow space of the plant canopy. The effects of this technique on fruit quality, fruit yield, and fuel use efficiency have been examined in comparison with conventional CO2 enrichment (CC) practices. The CLC method increased CO2 concentration inside the plant canopy by 100–200 μmol mol–1 when compared with CC under the ventilating conditions by a roof window. This resulted in significant increases of approximately 10–26% in the average fruit weight, 13% in the cumulative fruit number, and 22% in cumulative marketable yield when compared to CC. Furthermore, cumulative fuel consumption was approximately 27% lower with the CLC method when compared to CC. These results indicate that CLC improves fuel use efficiency when compared with CC as it increased yields and decreased fuel consumption.

Evaluation of four soilless substrate systems for greenhouse strawberry production

Evaluation of four soilless substrate systems for greenhouse strawberry production

Compatibility of pesticides used in strawberry crops with predatory mites Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) and Cosmolaelaps brevistilis (Karg).

Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) and Cosmolaelaps brevistilis (Karg) (Acari: Laelapidae) are predatory mites of soil-inhabiting pests, mainly small insects. Fungus gnats fly species are found in greenhouse strawberry production and may be controlled with predatory mites, being important to know their compatibility with the pesticides used in strawberry crops. In this study, the compatibility of seven commercial pesticides used in strawberry cultivation with the predatory mites S. scimitus and C. brevistilis was assessed in laboratory conditions. Survival and oviposition rates were evaluated between 0.5 and 120 h after treatment (HAT). The results demonstrate that lambda-cyhalothrin treatment resulted in the lowest survival rate for both mites in the first evaluations, being moderately harmful, while spinetoran was slightly harmful to C. brevistilis. On the other hand, abamectin, azadirachtin, azoxystrobin + difenoconazole, iprodione and thiamethoxam were harmless for both mites and, oviposition rate was significantly different only at 72 and 120 HAT for S. scimitus and C. brevistilis respectively. These results may be used to develop guidelines for the adoption of selective pesticides in integrated pest management programs that conserves predatory mites.

Energy-Life cycle assessment on applying solar technologies for greenhouse strawberry production

Climate change impacts, limited fossil fuel resources and escalating energy demand result in the use of clean and renewable energies such as solar thermal energy for sustainable agricultural production. In this study, the utilization of photovoltaic (PV) and photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T), which captures the remaining energy and removes waste heat from the PV module, is simulated by TRNSYS software as an alternative energy supplier in energy-environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of greenhouse (GH) strawberry production in Alborz province, Iran. For this purpose, three scenarios, namely, present (Sc-1), PV (Sc-2) and PV/T (Sc-3) systems, are considered. Results show that the total input and output energy uses are examined to be 919250 and 142618.75 MJ ha−1, respectively, and diesel fuel with about 80% of the total energy usage is the most energy consuming input. Solar system simulation reveals 150 and 147 panels for PV and PV/T systems to supply energy, respectively. Environmental damages are investigated by IMPACT2002 + based on ten-ton of yield as the functional unit. LCA results indicate that diesel fuel and On-Farm emissions have most significant effects amongst damage categories in Sc-1. Moreover, applying solar technologies reduce total damage categories by about 16% and 6% in Sc-2 and Sc-3, respectively. The cumulative exergy demand (CExD) analysis indicates that diesel fuel is a significant portion of energy forms in Sc-1 and solar systems in Sc-2 and Sc-3 reduce the total CExD by about 50% and 33%, respectively compared to the Sc-1. Besides, Sc-2 with PV panels is the most energy-environmental-friendly scenario among them. It should be noted that Sc-3 has less efficiency compared to Sc-2 owing to additional equipment use and the temperate weather during the study. Finally, it can be concluded that trends of energy and environmental damage categories can be modified significantly by applying solar technologies.

Production of strawberry using internet of things: a review

<span>Strawberry is a widely consumed fruit and cultivated globally but predominantly in cooler temperate zones because of its wealth of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. However, there are several challenging factors faced in the growing of strawberry such as temperature, seasonal production and short shelf-life. To overcome some of these challenges, the application of greenhouse and internet of things (IoT) are being used. In this paper, a review of the application of IoT in the greenhouse production of strawberry is presented. This includes a survey of existing literature on production of strawberry, types, method of growing strawberry and the application of IoT. The benefits and challenges of IoT in greenhouse strawberry production are discussed. The review highlights the need for use of low power wide area communication technology in the application of IoT in greenhouse strawberry production especially in tropical regions like Malaysia.</span>

Reconstruction Support for the Greenhouse Strawberry Production Area in Miyagi Prefecture Damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Reconstruction Support for the Greenhouse Strawberry Production Area in Miyagi Prefecture Damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Controlled environment strategies for tipburn management in greenhouse strawberry production

Greenhouse strawberry production is gaining interest in North America where field production is the primary source of fruit. Issues of off-season greenhouse strawberry production include tipburn, an environmentally induced localized calcium deficiency. Tipburn often increases when nighttime relative humidity (RH) is low (high vapor pressure deficit, VPD) from nighttime heating or venting with dry air in arid climate. High nighttime humidity ( 3 h nighttime high RH (<.1 kPa VPD), guttation was observed and leaf/calyx tipburn severity was low in 'Albion' (5.0±1.1 and 3.0±0.8% respectively) in 2013-2014. However, during 2014-2015, consecutive cold nights in November and December resulted in continuous nighttime heating, eliminating high humidity despite misting, which resulted in severe leaf and calyx tipburn. An additional strategy was implemented for remainder of season, covering plants on nights of anticipated continuous heating. In 2015-2016, a modified strategy of humidification and covering was developed. If 2 consecutive nights were below the 3-h, 95% RH minimum (0.1 kPa VPD maximum) requirement, plants were covered for the subsequent 2 consecutive nights, resulting in acceptably low levels of tipburn incidence (<10%). These practices suggest plants tolerate low humidity nights if Ca supply to the growing shoot tip is periodically restored. Implementation using computer-based nighttime humidity control is discussed.

Comparison of energy consumption and GHG emissions of open field and greenhouse strawberry production

Abstract The greenhouse areas in Iran have expanded rapidly and the greenhouse holders have shown a great tendency to cultivation of those crops that used to be cultivated in open fields. Although, greenhouses are intensive in terms of yield and whole year production, they are considered being one of the major contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in the agricultural sector. In the present study strawberry cultivation in greenhouses (GH) and open fields (OF) was selected as a representative of those crops which can be grown in both systems. Initial data were randomly collected from 70 OFs and 33 GHs in province of Gilan, Iran. Energy consumption and GHG emission of two different strawberry production systems were compared. Moreover, energy use efficiency of GH producers due to more energy consumption was studied, then degrees of technical efficiency (TE), pure technical efficiency (PTE) and scale efficiency (SE) were determined using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Additionally, the amount of energy inputs wasted in inefficient greenhouses was assessed and energy saving was computed. Furthermore, the effect of energy optimization on GHG emission was investigated and the total amount of GHG emission was calculated. The total average of energy input and output was estimated at 35,092.4 MJ ha−1 and 10,405.9 MJ ha−1 for OF production and, similarly, 1,356,932.8 MJ ha−1 and 137,772.4 MJ ha−1 for GH strawberry production. Total GHG emission was calculated as 803.4 kg CO2eq ha−1 and 35083.5 kg CO2eq ha−1 for OF and GH production, respectively. Based on the evaluations 20.2% (273,902.8 MJ ha−1) of overall energy sources can be saved if the performance of inefficient farmers is enhanced. Optimizing energy in the greenhouse production can result in a significant reduction in total GHG emission and the present emission of GHG can be reduced to the value of 29309.1 kg CO2eq ha−1.

Environmental impact assessment of open field and greenhouse strawberry production

A cradle-to-farm-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) study is conducted for open-field (OF) and greenhouse (GH) strawberry cultivation in Guilan province, Iran. The initial data including input materials and energy inputs exercised during production season was collected from 33 greenhouse holders and 77 farmers in the studied region. Data for the production of used inputs were taken from the EcoInvent®2.0 database, and SimaPro software was employed to analyze primary data. Ten impact categories including Abiotic Depletion potential (AD), Acidification potential (AC), Eutrophication potential (EU), Global Warming potential for time horizon 100 years (GW), Ozone Depletion potential (OD), Human Toxicity potential (HT), Freshwater and Marine Aquatic Ecotoxicity potential (FAET and MAET), Terrestrial Ecotoxicity potential (TE), and Photochemical Oxidation potential (PhO) were selected based on CML 2 baseline 2000 V2/world, 1990/characterization method. One ton of produced strawberries was chosen as the functional unit. The evaluations of the study indicated that OF production system in all selected impact categories was more environmentally profitable than GH production system except AC and EU. Based on the results electricity, natural gas and N-based fertilizers in both production stage and application in GH strawberry production produced the most environmental burdens. Moreover, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) were compared to model environmental indices of strawberry production on the basis of input materials. The results revealed that ANFIS models due to employing fuzzy rules are able to predict ten environmental indices with minimum error and the highest accuracy.

An Investigation of Reflective Mulches for Use Over Capillary Mat Systems for Winter-time Greenhouse Strawberry Production

Photosynthethically active radiation (PAR) is a principle environmental variable used by horticultural specialists, agronomists, and ecosystem modelers to characterize the quantity and quality of light conducive to plant growth and development. Spatial distribution of PAR in a greenhouse can be quite variable and diffuse throughout the daytime photoperiod, especially at low sun angles in northern regions of the United States. Four colors of reflective plastic mulches (white, red, olive, and black) were evaluated for winter-time strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) production based on their reflectance and transmittance properties in a double-polyethylene, plastic-glazed Quonset greenhouse in Nebraska. The spectral properties of the plastic film mulches were investigated in the laboratory using a spectral radiometer and integrating sphere. For greenhouse spectral studies, a modified field of view set of LiCOR PAR sensors and infrared thermocouple sensors (IRT/c) were mounted over the greenhouse gravel floor and the strips of plastic films of four different colors. Both incident and reflected PAR and plastic mulch temperatures were recorded during the day using a wireless, LabVIEW-based data logger system. The red mulch reflected less than half the amount of PAR than that from the white mulch and the olive and black mulches reflected even less. The white 6-mil reflective mulch was then selected to cover a capillary mat (CapMatII) irrigation system in a greenhouse strawberry production study. A three-month production study using the white reflective mulch under 312 strawberry pots resulted in the production of over 1700 saleable berries with a mass of over 19 kg. Plastic mulches could enhance the PAR environment of greenhouses and thus translate to more consistent plant production during winter months.

Greenhouse strawberry production in Iran, efficient or inefficient in energy

This paper attempts to identify origins of inefficient used resource for greenhouse strawberry production in Tehran. A nonparametric method, data envelopment analysis (DEA), was used to study the technical efficiency of producers with regard to effective energy utilization on strawberry yield. Data for the production of strawberries were collected from 25 greenhouses by using a face-to-face questionnaire method. Both constant and variable returns to scale DEA models were used to evaluate and rank technical efficiency of greenhouses based on four energy inputs: fertilizer, human labor, diesel fuel, and electricity. Pure technical efficiency specification shows that 10 greenhouses are producing at an efficient scale. The study has also helped to segregate efficient greenhouses from inefficient ones to get insights into the performance of individual producers, to identify wasteful uses of energy, and to suggest reasonable savings in energy uses from different sources. The results reveal that, on an average, about 16% of the total input energy could be saved if the producers follow the input package recommended by the study. The results of analysis show that DEA is a pivotal tool for analyzing productive efficiency of agricultural units.

Energy and economic analysis of greenhouse strawberry production in Tehran province of Iran

The aims of this study were to determine energy use pattern, to investigate the energy use efficiency, and to make an economical analysis in greenhouse strawberry production in Iran. Data used in this study were obtained from 25 greenhouse strawberry growers using a face to face questionnaire method. The results indicate that greenhouse strawberry production consumed a total energy of 121891.33 MJ ha −1. About 78% of this was generated by diesel fuel, 10% from chemical fertilizers, and 4.5% from electricity. Energy ratio, specific energy, net energy and energy intensiveness of greenhouse strawberry production were 0.15, 12.55 MJ kg −1, −683488.37 MJ ha −1 and 8.18 MJ $ −1, respectively. Determination of the efficient allocation of energy resources were modeled by Cobb–Douglas production function. Econometric model evaluation showed the impact of human labor, fertilizers, installation of equipment and transportation costs for strawberry production were all significant at 1% level. The elasticity estimates indicated that among the cost inputs, transportation is the most important input (−0.75) that influences total cost of production, followed by labor (0.31), fertilizers (0.18) and installation of equipments (0.22). The benefit–cost ratio and net return were obtained as 1.74 and 151907.91 $ ha −1, respectively.

Effect of bumble bee pollination on greenhouse strawberry production.

Effect of bumble bee pollination on greenhouse strawberry production.

Effect of bumble bee pollination on greenhouse strawberry production

SummaryIn this study, bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) were used as pollinators in the hydroponic cultivation of strawberries in a greenhouse during winter. We supplied IN Hoagland nutrient solution three times per day to 160 strawberry plants (var. Selva) growing in two 10 cm diameter pipes filled with perlite. One row (control) of the strawberry plants was covered with a fine mesh in order to prevent bee visitation whilst other was open to pollinators. The fruit was collected and weighed weekly during the harvest period. Deformed fruit was counted separately. The results showed that the row pollinated by the bumble bees produced more well-shaped fruit and the total marketable fruit production was double compared to the control row.

Influence of Plant Storage Duration on Strawberry Runner Tip Viability and Field Performance

Tissue-culture derived mother plants were established in a greenhouse suspended-gutter, nutrient-film technique growing system to evaluate runner tip productivity in the system. Effects of cultivar (`Allstar', `Chandler', `Latestar', `Northeaster', and USDA selection B 27) and duration (0, 1, or 2 months) of cold storage at 1 °C on tip viability, rooting success, and performance in fruit production were determined. The average number and weight of runner tips produced in the gutter production system, the capacity of runner tips to form cohesively rooted plug plants, and the number and length of adventitious roots produced by runner tips varied significantly among the cultivars and the three storage durations (0, 1, or 2 months). In the field, plants produced from runner tips stored for 2 months produced more runners than plants produced from freshly harvested runner tips. Crown number differed among the cultivars, but was not affected by cold storage treatment. No treatment differences were noted for the fruit harvest parameters evaluated. The results suggest that the transplants derived from mother plants grown in a greenhouse-based soilless system can be useful for annual plasticulture strawberry production in colder climates. Although long periods of cold storage of runner tips resulted in lower tip-to-transplant conversion ratios, field performance of transplants was not adversely affected. Additional research is needed to improve greenhouse strawberry production practices for increasing runner output and storage conditions that maintain the integrity of cold-stored runner tips. Without these improvements it is unlikely that soilless runner tip production will become a widely accepted technique that would replace the field nursery tip production method currently used by commercial strawberry propagators.