• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Search Projects
  • Help
  • Log in

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Grants And Education To Advance Innovations In Sustainable Agriculture
  • Grants
  • Project Reports
    • Search Projects
    • Search Project Coordinators
  • Learning Center
  • Professional Development
  • State Programs
  • Events
  • Newsroom
  • About SARE

Project Overview

OS16-098
Project Type: On-Farm Research
Funds awarded in 2016: $14,996.00
Projected End Date: 03/14/2018
Grant Recipient: University of Florida
Region: Southern
State: Florida
Principal Investigator:
Justin Renkema
Email
University of Florida

Using Flowering Plants on Strawberry Field Edges to Enhance Natural Enemies and Pollinators and Improve Pest Control and Fruit Quality

View the project final report

Commodities

  • Fruits: berries (strawberries)

Practices

  • Crop Production: pollination, pollinator habitat
  • Education and Training: extension, on-farm/ranch research
  • Pest Management: biological control, trap crops

Project objectives:

Our project addresses the issue of poor or lacking habitat for beneficial insects in agriculture. Through intentional management of strawberry field edges, we hope to show that pollinators and natural enemies can be conserved to provide improved pest control and crop pollination.  As a result, the need for curative insecticides will be reduced, meaning unsustainable outcomes associated with overreliance on insecticides should be mitigated and costs associated with insecticide application reduced.  As well, production of higher quality fruit will improve yields and income.

Flowering plants will provide the necessary habitat to improve beneficial insect communities in Florida strawberry fields. Early establishment of predatory Orius will prevent thrips outbreaks crop and improve yield.  Increased abundance and diversity of pollinators will aid improving fruit set and quality.  In achieving this, input costs associated with insecticides for control will be reduced and revenue generated by greater harvest will be increased.  Therefore, our work will contribute to making the whole of strawberry production in Florida more productive, sustainable, and beneficial to the environment, public health and human communities.

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.

Primary Sidebar

Footer

SARE - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education USDA
1122 Patapsco Building | University of Maryland | College Park, MD 20742-6715

This site is maintained by SARE Outreach for the SARE program and features research projects supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreement award No. 2018-38640-28731 with the University of Maryland to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education © 2019
Help | Contact us