Strawberries aren’t ready yet this fall so far, but on Nov. 26, 2020, strawberry shipments from Florida had 4,923 packages of eight 1-pound containers with lids — or almost 40,000 pounds, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. There were no organic shipments mentioned.
On the same day in 2019, Florida had 290,000 pounds of strawberry shipments, plus 20,000 pounds of organic strawberries.
By Dec. 29, 2020, Florida’s conventional strawberry shipments ramped up to 1.02 million pounds. But on Dec. 30, 2019, the state was shipping 2.05 million pounds of strawberries.
For a few years, University of Florida plant pathologist Natalia Peres has used an ultraviolet light system to thwart strawberry pathogens and published a report showing how the system helps control powdery mildew.
Peres and other UF/IFAS scientists are studying what ultraviolet systems can tamp down pests and diseases for Florida’s $300 million-a-year strawberry industry. Research shows that the system works well to control spider mite eggs but not chilli thrips, according to a news release.
The study’s results will become part of an integrated pest management system to help strawberry growers.
Spider mites and thrips are the most economically damaging species for Florida strawberry production, entomology assistant professor Sriyanka Lahiri said in the release.
“Even though there is overwhelming reliance on the use of synthetic insecticides and miticides to manage these pests, biological control agents such as predatory mites can be effective in integrated pest management in strawberry,” Lahiri said. “Another way is to use UVC irradiation, applied after sunset, to manage these entomological pests along with strawberry pathogens. Both these pest management tools can be used complementary to each other.”
