Florida Strawberry Research Articles

Effect of Cultural Practices on Neopamera bilobata in Relation to Fruit Injury and Marketable Yields in Organic Strawberries.

Simple SummaryThe strawberry seed bug is a native insect that has recently been causing injury to strawberries in Florida. This study examined the effects of two common cultural practices on the strawberry seed bug: cover cropping and runner removal. Cover cropping is used only in organic strawberry production while runner removal is common to both production systems. The effects of cultivar were also examined. Lastly, small bags were tied around strawberry fruits and different numbers of nymphal and adult seed bugs were released into the bags to examine the effects of their feeding on strawberry fruits. The use of cover crops did not impact seed bug populations. The results for runner removal were inconsistent but it was clear that removing runners does not increase seed bug populations or their injury to fruit. The cultivar “Florida Brilliance” received less injury likely because its seeds are recessed in the flesh of the fruit, making them more difficult for seed bugs to access. Both adults and nymphs caused injury to ripe fruit. Adults did not feed on unripe fruit, so injury to unripe fruit is likely caused by nymphal feeding.The strawberry seed bug, Neopamera bilobata (Say), is an emerging pest of organic and conventional strawberries in Florida. There is limited information on this Rhyparochromidae species. Thus, the type of injury caused is not clearly documented and management recommendations are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the effect of strawberry cultivars, cover crops, and the presence of runners on N. bilobata populations and yield. We also investigated the effect of select cultivars and the presence of runners on N. bilobata injury levels. In addition, we used fruit bagging experiments to investigate the effects of N. bilobata population and life stage (nymph vs. adult) on strawberry fruits. There was no effect of cover crop or cultivar on N. bilobata populations. In the 2017–2018 season, strawberry plots with runners contained higher N. bilobata populations compared with plots without runners, and adult infestation was significantly higher than nymphal infestation. In the 2018–2019 season, the trend was reversed with higher numbers of N. bilobata collected in plots with runners removed. In the 2019–2020 season, there was no significant difference in N. bilobata populations in plots with and without runners. In both 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, nymphal infestation was higher than adult infestation. Less injury was recorded in “Florida Brilliance” compared with the other cultivars tested. In the 2019–2020 season, less injury was recorded from plots without runners while the difference was not significant in 2017–2018 or 2018–2019. Releasing five and ten adult N. bilobata on ripe (red) fruit produced a similar level of injury while no injury to unripe (green) fruit was observed. Both adults and nymphs cause injury to ripe fruit. These findings can help contribute to the development of an integrated pest management program for strawberry N. bilobata.

Leaf Spot Diseases of Strawberry

Several different fungi and one bacterium cause leaf spot diseases of Florida strawberry. Symptoms caused by these pathogens are often similar, leading to confusion and misdiagnosis of the disease. To facilitate diagnosis, the most common leaf spots diseases of strawberry in Florida are described in this new 6-page article, written by Juliana S. Baggio, James C. Mertely, and Natalia A. Peres, and published by the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp359

Revealing the Diet of Generalist Insect Predators in Strawberry Fields: Not Only Pests, But Other Predators Beware.

Generalist invertebrate predators contribute to pest management in agriculture, providing an important ecosystem service, particularly in organically managed fields. DNA-based methods to study food webs and feeding interactions in unrestricted field conditions have transformed dietary analysis of generalist predators. In this study, we used MiSeq next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and universal arthropod primers to investigate the diet of several generalist insect predators collected in commercial organic Florida strawberry fields from November 2017 to March 2018. Of 12 predator insect taxa, Geocoris spp. (Say) (Hemiptera: Geocoridae) was the most abundant early in the growing season (November) and was collected consistently until the end of the season (early March). DNA sequences from 105 predator samples were matched to 44 arthropod families, and of these, 17 were categorized as pest families, 10 as nonpest or nonpredator families, and 17 as predator families. Drosophilidae was the most detected pest family, and Dolichopodidae was the most detected predator family. Prey diversity differed among the predators. Chrysoperla spp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) consumed more prey earlier in the season than did other predators, whereas the other predators consumed a greater diversity of other predators regardless of month. Our results showed a high amount of intraguild predation, but also that predators are contributing to pest suppression in organic strawberries and providing an important biological control service in Florida organic strawberries.

Flumioxazin soil persistence under plastic mulch and effects of pretransplant applications on strawberry

AbstractWeeds are managed in Florida strawberry production systems with plastic mulches, fumigants, and herbicides. There are limited post-transplant options to control weeds that emerge in the planting holes in the plastic-covered beds, but flumioxazin at 107 g ai ha−1 can be applied pretransplant under the plastic mulch to control broadleaf and grass weeds. Three research trials were conducted in Balm and Dover, FL, in 2017 and 2018 to evaluate tolerance of the strawberry cultivar ‘Radiance’ to flumioxazin rates ranging from 54 to 6,854 g ha−1 and to estimate herbicide persistence under the plastic mulch. Shoot damage was observed at 428 to 857 g ha−1 (4× and 8× the label rate, respectively), but a significant increase in the number of dead plants was not observed until the treatment rate was 857 g ha−1 at one site and 3,427 g ha−1 at a second site (8× and 32× the label rate, respectively). Berry yields were unaffected by rates lower than 857 g ha−1. Flumioxazin persisted throughout the growing season (approximately 150 d) with no reduction in soil concentration. We conclude that applied at the label rate, flumioxazin is a safe pretransplant weed management option for season-long weed control in strawberry with no yield reduction at rates below 8× the label rate. Caution is recommended for growers who plant a second crop on the same bed.

The taxonomic status of Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie, 1942 (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) populations from the southeastern USA, and description of Aphelenchoides pseudobesseyi sp. n.

Summary Populations reviously identified as Aphelenchoides besseyi were studied. Using an integrated approach, the A. besseyi species complex contains several cryptic species: A. besseyi sensu stricto, A. oryzae, A. pseudobesseyi sp. n. and other putative undescribed species. A population from Florida strawberry morphologically fits the A. besseyi of both Christie and Allen and is considered the only representative of this species. A Louisiana rice population fitted the descriptions of A. oryzae of both Yokoo and Fortuner; PUS length was consistently less than one-third of VA. Aphelenchoides oryzae, parasitising rice and other monocots, was re-established based on morphological and molecular datasets. Three populations from Florida ornamental plants (Dryopteris erythrosora, Echinacea sp. and Farfugium japonicum) differed from those of the two above-mentioned species and are described as A. pseudobesseyi sp. n. Populations previously identified as ‘A. besseyi’ from several countries were considered representatives of this new species, which usually had a large and conspicuous PUS, 8-14 μm wide and with a length greater than one-third of VA in 40-70% of studied specimens. Morphological variability made separation of A. pseudobesseyi sp. n. from A. oryzae and A. besseyi unreliable without the examination of numerous specimens and molecular analysis.

First Report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Causing Strawberry Fruit Rot in Florida.

During the 2019-2020 Florida strawberry season (October to April), a strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fruit rot was observed in two fields (Plant City and Wimauma, FL) with up to 5% incidence on short-day cultivars SensationTM Florida127, and Florida Brilliance. Symptoms on pink and ripe fruit consisted of softening, discoloration, watery rot with white fuzzy mycelium, and initial sclerotium formation. Diseased tissue was placed on General Isolation (GI) medium (Amiri et al. 2018) and incubated at 25°C under a 12-h photoperiod. A fungus producing spreading cottony white colonies with dark sclerotia near the outer edges of the plates was consistently isolated. One isolate from each cultivar field (20-51 and 20-55) was selected for identification and pathogenicity tests. Apothecial production was induced following the protocol of Li and Rollins (2009), and apothecia (n=30) had an average diameter of 4.5 (3.5 to 7.2) mm. Sclerotia were 3.6 (2.5 to 6.2) mm by 4.5 (3.1 to 5.9) mm (n=30) in size. Dimensions of asci were 130.2 (115.1 to 160.5) μm by 8.5 (6.2 to 13.1) μm (n=30), and those of ascospores were 12.2 (10.8 to 14.6) μm by 6.8 (5.7 to 8.1) μm (n=30). Based on these morphological features, the pathogen was tentatively identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary (Maas 1998). DNA was extracted from the same two isolates using the FastDNA kit (MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH), and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified using the primers ITS1 and ITS4 (White et al. 1990). Sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. MT378215 and MT378216). BLASTn searches revealed that isolates 20-51 and 20-55 were 99.62% identical (526 / 528 bp) to S. sclerotiorum CBS 499.50 (MH856725.1). Immature pink fruit of SensationTM 'Florida127' were harvested, surface disinfested in bleach solution (0.08% NaClO) for 90 sec, rinsed twice with deionized water, then placed into styrofoam egg cartons inside clean plastic boxes (30x24x7 cm) containing 150 ml of sterile deionized water to maintain moisture, and kept at 25°C with a 12-h photoperiod. Ascospores and sclerotia were used for inoculation tests with three repetitions in an egg carton containing 12 fruit each per isolate and inoculation method. The experiment was repeated once. Fruit were inoculated by placing 20 μl of a 1 × 106 ascospores/mL suspension or a single sclerotium on the upper half of the fruit. Controls were included, by placing 20 μl of sterile DI water or fruit with no sclerotia. Evaluations were done 6, 10, and 15 days after inoculation (DAI). Control fruit remained healthy, while inoculated fruit developed symptoms of softening and discoloration. For ascospore inoculation, disease incidence was 55 (± 5) and 78% (± 4), for 6 and 15 DAI, respectively, whereas for sclerotia inoculation incidence was 100% 6 DAI. Morphologically identical fungi to the original isolates were re-isolated from the diseased fruit. No other fruit decay fungi were observed. S. sclerotiorum has been previously reported causing strawberry fruit rot in Washington state in the United States, England, Israel, and Scotland (Alcorn 1966; Maas 1998; McLean 1957). It has also been listed in the indices of plant diseases from Florida, North Carolina, and California as causing crown rot (Farr and Rossman 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. sclerotiorum causing strawberry fruit rot in Florida. The pathogen is an aggressive necrotroph with prolonged survival and affects several vegetable crops grown in Florida (Paret et al. 2018). Because only the strawberry beds are fumigated, sclerotia remaining in the alleys could serve as inoculum sources. Currently, the disease is rare and of minor significance to strawberry production. However, efforts should be implemented to monitor its occurrence and spread.

Purple Nutsedge Management in Florida Strawberry with Herbicides and a Modified Florida 3-Way Fumigation Program

The “Florida 3-way” consists of chloropicrin 35% + 1,3-dichloropropene 65% followed by minicoulter application of metam potassium. We evaluated the efficacy of a modified version of the Florida 3-way in which chloropicrin 35% + 1,3-dichloropropene 65% was used as primary bed fumigant and consisted of different drip tape application timings (at the time of bed formation and 2 weeks after bed formation) of metam potassium or the use of herbicides (sulfentrazone and s-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate) as the supplemental application for the control of purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) in strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) fields. Efficacy of modified Florida 3-way was not significantly different from standard Florida 3-way; however, supplemental herbicide such as s-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate and sulfentrazone provided better purple nutsedge control than supplemental metam potassium application in one of two experimental growing seasons. Addition of metam potassium to the chloropicrin 35% + 1,3-dichloropropene 65% did not result in additional purple nutsedge control in Florida 3-way, which indicates the limitations of this approach.

Strawberry crop termination, weed control and Macrophomina phaseolina inoculum control with metam potassium at season end

Metam potassium (metam-K) is one of the commonly used soil fumigants in Florida strawberry production. It is typically injected into the drip irrigation system at the end of the season for control of weeds, nematodes, soil-borne pathogens and to terminate the crops. Field trials were conducted to determine the optimal application rate of metam-K for adequate strawberry crop termination, weed control and control of Macrophomina phaseolina inoculum. Our results indicate that 65 kg active ingredient per treated hectare killed strawberry plants, actively growing purple nutsedge and Carolina geranium, tubers (yellow nutsedge) and seeds of Carolina geranium, black medic, goosegrass, and Florida pusley, as well as controlled M. phaseolina inoculum at bed center. Control of pests located at the bed edge is better at maximum registered label rate (~400 kg ha ha−1) which indicates improved lateral movement of metam-K at higher application rates. Seeds of goosegrass and Florida pusley were more susceptible to metam-K than black medic and Carolina geranium. This may be attributed to the difference in their seed coat thickness. This research confirms that metam-K can be used at season end for crop termination and the optimal application rate varies with pests and their location within the raised bed. Crop termination with metam-K could be an integral part of an integrated pest management.

Grower willingness to pay for fruit quality versus plant disease resistance and welfare implications: The case of florida strawberry

Grower willingness to pay for fruit quality versus plant disease resistance and welfare implications: The case of florida strawberry

Managing Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Florida Strawberry with Flupyradifurone

ABSTRACT Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood is a pest of strawberry in Florida, causing foliar and fruit damage to young plants. A field-plot study was conducted in 2015–16 to compare the efficacy of flupyradifurone (SivantoTM 200 SL, 1035 and 2070 ml ha−1) to spinetoram (Radiant SC®, 740 ml ha−1). Flupyradifurone reduced S. dorsalis by 68-83% on leaves and unripe fruit but was not as effective as spinetoram. More plants in control (25%) than insecticide-treated plots (10-15%) had S. dorsalis damage. The yield was increased by the high rate of flupyradifurone, but percent thrips-damaged strawberries were not affected. With modest activity against S. dorsalis, flupyradifurone may be best used after a highly effective thrips insecticide when a follow-up application is needed.

What Will Florida Strawberry Varieties Look like in the Future? A Breeder’s Perspective

ABSTRACT A recent economic analysis predicted that the distribution of strawberry production in Florida that would maximize profit is very different from the current production distribution. An earlier start to the season in mid-November, peak production in early December and steadily decreasing production thereafter is predicted to create an improved balance of price and volume throughout the Florida market window. We propose that a combination of early short-day cultivars and low-chill day-neutral cultivars will help achieve this goal. Short-day varieties such as ‘Florida Brilliance’ produce earlier than previous varieties such as ‘Strawberry Festival’ and ‘Florida Radiance.’ Meanwhile, day-neutral varieties such as ‘Florida Beauty’ require more management but can be planted early and begin producing in mid-November with steady yields thereafter. All future varieties must have increased levels of fruit quality to drive market demand.

Baseline Sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea Isolates from Strawberry to Isofetamid Compared to other SDHIs.

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) are the fungicides most commonly used to control Botrytis fruit rot on commercial strawberry in Florida. The medium-to-high risk of selection of resistance in the causal agent Botrytis cinerea is a threat to the efficacy of this fungicide group. In this study, we characterized the sensitivity of B. cinerea to the SDHI isofetamid, evaluated the SdhB gene mutation associated with resistance, and monitored resistance frequencies to five SDHI fungicides for two consecutive seasons. EC50 values of 70 isolates were obtained using the spiral gradient dilution (SGD) method and averaged 0.098 µg/ml of isofetamid. EC50 averages of 3.04 and >500.00 µg/ml were obtained for isolates with the N230I and P225F mutations indicating moderate and high resistance to isofetamid, respectively. A total of 565 B. cinerea isolates collected during 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons from strawberry nurseries and Florida production fields were evaluated using conidial germination assays. Results for the first season showed resistance frequencies of 95, 33, 21, 25, and 0% to boscalid, penthiopyrad, fluopyram, benzovindiflupyr, and isofetamid, respectively. The respective resistance frequencies for the following season were 91, 95, 44, 27, and 1.3%. Only three isolates were found to be moderately resistant to isofetamid during the second season, and the mutation N230I was identified after sequence analysis. These isolates were confirmed to be resistant to isofetamid in fruit assays with disease incidence of 55.6 to 77.0%; however, the conidial production of the isolates was inhibited by an average of 83.9%. In general, isofetamid efficacy was higher than the other evaluated SDHIs, but a slight increase in resistance frequencies was observed in our study.

Fluopyram as a rescue nematicide for managing sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) on commercial strawberry in Florida

The sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) is one of the most economically damaging pests of strawberry in Florida. In this study we evaluated in-season application of fluopyram for management of B. longicaudatus populations at nine commercial strawberry farms. In-crop application of fluopyram reduced B. longicaudatus population densities in soil by the end of the growing season in four out of six of the commercial strawberry farms where B. longicaudatus was detected during the growing season. At the four sites, relative suppression of B. longicaudatus by fluopyram ranged from 54 to 96%. Despite significant suppression of B. longicaudatus population densities in soil, in-crop application of fluopyram did not result in greater strawberry plant vigour by the end of the growing season. Overall, in-crop application of fluopyram shows considerable potential to reduce B. longicaudatus populations on strawberry in Florida.

Evaluation of ethanedinitrile (EDN) as a preplant soil fumigant in Florida strawberry production.

Ethanedinitrile (EDN) has shown promising efficacy against weeds, plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-borne pathogens. Field experiments were conducted for three strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa D.) seasons in Balm and Dover, FL, USA to evaluate the control efficacy of EDN applied through drip tape on various weed species and the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal agent of charcoal rot of strawberry. Results revealed that 224, 336, 448 or 560 kg ha-1 EDN, and 104 kg ha-1 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) + 176 kg ha-1 chloropicrin (Pic) applied through drip tapes under totally impermeable film were safe for strawberry production, with no adverse effect on strawberry growth and yield. EDN rates at 224, 336, 448 and 560 kg ha-1 were highly efficacious and equally effective in reducing purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) in two of three growing seasons. Compared with the efficacy on purple nutsedge, the evaluated EDN rates were generally less effective on various broadleaf and grass weeds emerging on the bare ground and planting holes, but at 560 kg ha-1 consistently exhibited similar levels of control as 1,3-D + Pic. For M. phaseolina, the evaluated EDN rates were more efficacious than 1,3-D + Pic and significantly reduced inoculum buried in different bed locations in plastic-mulched beds. EDN has potential to be an efficacious tool for soil disinfestation and weed control in plasticulture strawberry production. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Phytophthora Crown Rot of Strawberry

This new 3-page article describes Phytophthora crown rot, an important disease in Florida strawberry fields caused mainly by Phytophthora cactorum, and provides some recommendations for cultural and chemical control. Written by Natalia A. Peres and Juliana S. Baggio and published by the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp350

Efficacy of insecticides for season-long control of thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in winter strawberries in Florida

Flower thrips (primarily Frankliniella spp.) can be significant strawberry pests, and recently in Florida, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood has become an established, early-season, foliar pest. Insecticides that were used for flower thrips management are now also used for S. dorsalis, resulting in the need to evaluate newer insecticides in order to diversify rotations and mitigate overuse of insecticides with the same mode-of-action. We evaluated 10 and 12 season-long insecticide programs in field plots in central Florida during the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 winter strawberry seasons, respectively. We found that most programs reduced thrips populations and strawberry injury due to thrips feeding, while having limited effects on Orius spp., a primary thrips predator. An early season application of chlorantraniliprole + thiamethoxam, commonly used for other strawberry pests, reduced S. dorsalis populations and strawberry injury, although S. dorsalis populations were relatively low in both study years. When repeat applications of the same insecticide were made throughout the growing season, cyantraniliprole was nearly as effective as spinetoram against Frankliniella spp., while tolfenpyrad and sulfoxaflor did not perform as well. Flupyradifurone was as effective as acetamiprid when used as a follow-up application to spinetoram or cyantraniliprole. Programs including or entirely composed of OMRI-listed insecticides for organic production were not as effective as conventional insecticide programs, with only spinosad providing acceptable thrips control. In conclusion, spinetoram, acetamiprid and spinosad were confirmed to be effective against thrips and can be used as the backbone of rotation programs in conventional and organic strawberry production systems. Diamide insecticides were effective when used repeatedly and in rotation, while flupyradifurone and flonicamid may be used when follow-up applications are needed. Continued research is critical for fine-tuning insecticide programs, with a focus on testing against high S. dorsalis populations in early-planted strawberries and on developing effective sampling methods to optimize timing and reduce the number of applications.

A Quantitative Synthesis of the Efficacy and Profitability of Conventional and Biological Fungicides for Botrytis Fruit Rot Management on Strawberry in Florida.

Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) is a major disease that affects strawberry production in Florida and worldwide. BFR management relies on frequent fungicide applications. A meta-analysis was conducted on the outcomes from nine field trials to evaluate the efficacy and profitability of conventional and biological fungicides compared with a nontreated control (NTC). All trials were conducted in Florida between the 2005/06 and 2016/17 growing seasons. Fungicide treatments were applied weekly, and plots were harvested twice a week for yield and BFR incidence quantification. Treatments were grouped into four categories: NTC, multisite only (Thiram), Standard (captan alternated with fludioxonil + cyprodinil), and Bacillus. Following primary analyses, a random effects network meta-analytical model was fitted to estimate the mean yield and BFR incidence responses for each treatment group and to compare means between pairs of groups. The Thiram and the Standard treatment groups increased yield by 378.8 and 502.2 kg/ha/week, respectively, compared with the NTC. The yield difference between Bacillus and NTC was not statistically significant. Besides increasing yield, Thiram and Standard also reduced BFR incidence by approximately 10% compared with the NTC. The mean yield responses and among-study variability from the meta-analysis were used to estimate the probability of a given yield response in a new future trial. The Standard and Thiram treatment groups showed higher estimated probabilities of increasing yield and resulting in a profitable return on application investments than the Bacillus group of treatments. The results from this study provide growers with information that will aid their decision-making process regarding BFR management.

Sources of Inoculum and Survival of Macrophomina phaseolina in Florida Strawberry Fields.

Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal agent of charcoal rot, affects strawberry crowns, inducing plant collapse. The fungus survives in the soil through the production of microsclerotia and is usually controlled by preplant fumigation of soil. However, in the 2016 to 2017 Florida strawberry season, even after soil fumigation, about 30% plant mortality still occurred in plastic-covered beds that were used for a second season and where crop residue (mainly old strawberry crowns) was disposed of between beds. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if M. phaseolina can survive on strawberry debris over summer in Florida and if so, verify whether strawberry debris might act as a source of inoculum for new transplants. Crowns from the previous season were collected from commercial farms where charcoal rot had been reported, and M. phaseolina was recovered from all samples. In a research field, infected crowns were buried in the soil at different depths and retrieved every 2 weeks during the summer. After 8 weeks, M. phaseolina could be recovered at all depths. Moreover, inoculation of strawberry plants by drenching the soil, dipping roots, or spraying leaves with a M. phaseolina microsclerotial suspension from pure cultures or infected crowns produced symptoms with differences in incubation periods depending on cultivar susceptibility. Furthermore, infected crowns disposed of in the aisles between beds or buried next to new transplants of cultivars Strawberry Festival, Florida Beauty, and Winterstar induced charcoal rot, with the level of aggressiveness depending on the cultivar susceptibility and inoculum placement in the field.

Strawberry, black medic (Medicago lupulina), and Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum) growth under light-limiting conditions

AbstractBroadleaf infestations interfere with Florida strawberry production. Broadleaf POST herbicide options applied atop the crop are limited to synthetic auxins and not suitable for conventional multi-cropping and organic systems. Reducing light access and interception during weed emergence may reduce interference. Light-limited growth of two problematic broadleaves, black medic and Carolina geranium, and the most commonly grown strawberry cultivar (‘Florida Radiance’), were examined in the greenhouse. The experimental design was completely randomized, and the trial was repeated. Black medic was susceptible to reductions in incoming solar radiation, wherein reducing the daily maximum available light from 331 to 94 µmol m−2s−1reduced leaf number and area by 93% and 89%, respectively. Carolina geranium growth was less susceptible to reduced-light treatments, with leaf area and number each reduced by 66% when light was reduced from 331 to 94 µmol m−2s−1. Belowground, Carolina geranium biomass was similarly reduced between the 331 and 94 µmol m−2s−1treatments. Strawberry was relatively tolerant to shading at 155 µmol m−2s−1, but further reductions did increase mortality. Shade-induced weed suppression is a promising alternative strategy for conventional and organic Florida strawberry production. Targeted application during periods of weed emergence may play a role within integrated pest management strategies. This approach is most feasible for black medic management but may be useful for Carolina geranium in concert with other strategies.

Berry Good Programming: An Examination of Consumers’ Purchasing Intent of Florida Strawberries in Out-of-State Markets

Florida strawberry producers have faced increased competition and difficulties marketing their products over recent years. The purpose of this study was to explore eastern United States consumers’ purchasing intent of Florida strawberries to develop communication and marketing strategies for Florida strawberries in a competitive market. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guided the research, and focus groups were conducted in North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York. Participants had positive attitudes toward purchasing Florida strawberries, and past experiences and interactions with others influenced their purchasing intent, but their perceptions of behavioral control were low. Participants with neutral attitudes and limited behavioral control had lower intent to purchase Florida strawberries in the future compared to other participants. Extension could help producers increase purchasing intent by increasing perceived behavioral control, making the growing location easily visible on the strawberry labels, and facilitating personal experiences between consumers and the product.