US (LA): Strawberry growers optimistic after difficult season
LSU AgCenter agent Whitney Wallace in Tangipahoa Parish said some growers saw extensive damage from the recent freeze, while others saw minor crop loss.
“Some of our growers here in Tangipahoa did sustain some damage with the freeze, but overall it’s not too bad,” she said. “Some of the worst damage occurs when the blooms that are on the plants are burnt from the cold weather.”
Jones said she sustained some minor strawberry damage, mainly around the edges of her fields but the impact wasn't so severe and she expects to be able to begin harvesting soon.
“We do have some berries and blooms that were burnt, and they have to be discarded. But the damage was not that extensive,” Jones said.
“In the past, strawberry producers used sprinklers to coat the plants in freezing temperatures,” Wallace said. “This was the norm years ago because once the water freezes around the plants, the temperatures will not drop below 32 degrees.”
Today, most growers use cloth covers to keep the heat around the plants to avoid extensive damage to the crop, Wallace said.
“With the recent freezing event, we had to double cover some of our fields, which is responsible for keeping much of the crop from damage,” Jones said.
The number of strawberry farmers in the state has decreased from about 200 in 2005 to just over 80 now. According to the 2015 Louisiana Ag Summary, the gross farm value of the strawberry industry was just over $15 million per year.
soruce: deltafarmpress.com