Matted row strawberries planted into weed suppressing cover crops

Final Report for FNE05-553

Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2005: $4,020.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2007
Region: Northeast
State: Vermont
Project Leader:
David Marchant
River Berry Farm
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Project Information

Summary:

Note to readers, attached is the complete final report for FNE05-553.

Establishment of matted row strawberries into a killed cover crop was unsuccessful. The rye mulch provided weed control for approximately 30 days which was not adequate for establishing strawberries. The use of a 7" long spike transplanting wheel helped in planting, but was not significantly faster than hand planting.

The use of BioTelo corn based biodegradable mulch worked well in reducing weeding labor during the establishment year of the strawberries, when compared to bare ground system. The mulch decomposed at a rate that allowed a matter row to establish and was decomposed enough in the picking year so as to not interfere with harvesting. The use of biodegradable mulch has excellent potential for use in matted row strawberries production.

Cooperators

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  • John Hayden

Research

Participation Summary
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.