There is renewed interest in the above-ground strawberry production systems designed and built by Combimetal Carrera, a company based in Policoro (Italy) that specializes in the construction of greenhouse structures. Gabriele Nicodemo of the Nicofruit Group (pictured below), one of the Italian companies that have decided to invest in these innovative systems for strawberry production, talks about them.
"We have not yet entered the peak season of the strawberry campaign, even with the above soil, but this year we can count on a larger area, with two-row gutter planting. The goal is to harvest 1 kg per plant, compared to about 650 g usually obtained with traditional methods. Some of the undoubted advantages of the soilless system are the greater number of plants that can be planted and the higher yields per harvest. We have placed 35 percent more plants above the soil, a total of 115,000 plants versus about 75,000 plants grown with the traditional method. Timing becomes an important factor in strawberry harvesting, as above-soil harvesting is faster than in-ground harvesting. In addition, our employees tend to prefer these plants to the traditional ones. The reasons are quite understandable."
The gutters were designed and installed by the contractor Combimetal Carrera in such a way that they do not overshadow the plants, thus ensuring uniform yields on the different floors. "A cleaner and tidier production area and the uniformity of the fruit are additional benefits that we have seen so far," adds the young farmer. "The greenhouses housing our above-ground strawberries are 3.50m from the ridge, allowing better ventilation and temperature control. These plants are managed by a fertigator that monitors the PH and conductivity of the soil. A series of technology-based daily measurements, to which are added manual inspections carried out with probes, directly in the coconut fiber mat."
For more information:
Combimetal Carrera Srl
Via Lido 3
75025 Policoro (MT) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0835 973481
E-mail: combimetalcarrerasrl@gmail.com
combimetalcarrera.it