The Strawberry Trial: Plastic vs. Clover
Farmacea’s mission is a strawberry trial evaluating conventional plastic mulch to a residing mulch of white Dutch clover. Their analysis query is easy however will assist Farmacea decide which strawberry planting system will work finest for them within the coming years: “Does a residing clover mulch produce larger strawberry yields than a plastic mulch?”.
To reply this, they’ve arrange six beds. Three beds use the traditional plastic mulch, whereas the opposite three are planted with New Zealand White Clover (Trifolium repens) to function a residing mulch. Each units of beds embrace a mixture of strawberry cultivars: Earliglow, Chandler, Allstar, and San Andreas, guaranteeing consistency in strawberry varieties throughout the trial.
Cautious preliminary planning was important, specializing in a constant quantity and mixture of strawberry vegetation in every mattress. Mike and Rollin standardized the beds and timed clover planting, which confronted weather-related delays and farm facility harm. Moreover, deer intrusions necessitated the development of upper fences to guard the crops.
What They’re Measuring
Farmacea can be monitoring a number of key metrics to find out the success of every mulching technique:
- Yield: Weight of harvested berries, % marketable yield, and pint counts.
- Brix: A measure of sugar content material within the berries.
- Weed Stress: Observations and frequency of weeding interventions.
- Photograph Documentation: Retaining a visible document of the trial’s progress.
- Soil Testing: Amassing samples to investigate soil well being.
Knowledge is being collected constantly over the season, with harvests twice weekly. They plan to doc every part from the variety of pints of berries to the burden of each marketable and unmarketable yields. Brix ranges are being measured to gauge the sweetness of the berries and can ideally be taken at three intervals throughout the strawberry season.
Why This Issues
Farmacea’s trial is about extra than simply rising strawberries. It’s about discovering sustainable choices for weed suppression and bettering soil well being via practices like cowl cropping. They’re additionally concerned about reducing their reliance on nonrenewable assets and stopping microplastic contamination of their soil. Implementing a residing mulch technique is meant to reduce the necessity for guide weeding, improve soil construction, and foster an surroundings that naturally inhibits weeds.
