Fresh Strawberry insights

Agricultural frost that was effective in Malatya in April caused serious crop losses by damaging fruit trees in many areas. In the Doğanyol district, fruits such as apricots, mulberries, and strawberries grown near the dam remained unaffected by frost, bringing a smile to farmers' faces.

(Jeonju=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jin-bang = The Rural Development Administration urged preventive management and post-disaster measures to minimize damage on the first day, noting that strawberry seedling nurseries are increasingly experiencing flooding during the rainy season. The strawberry seedling cultivation period overlaps with the rainy season, making it easy for greenhouse interiors to become submerged. At this time, submerged seedlings can experience physiological disorders such as roots turning brown or new leaves not growing normally. Farms growing strawberry seedlings should create drainage channels around the nursery with sufficient depth to quickly drain water. Additionally, they should check the greenhouse's fixed state in preparation for strong winds and heavy rain and replace old vinyl in advance. Preventive control against anthracnose, wilt disease, and nematodes must also be thoroughly implemented. When the facility's interior is flooded, quickly drain all water completely. Carefully cut off electricity due to electrocution risks, then check the operation of equipment like nutrient solution machines and heating devices. For nurseries already experiencing flood damage, immediately remove seedlings with severe symptoms. For seedlings with minimal damage, clean leaves with sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers, then alternately spray pesticides to prevent anthracnose, wilt disease, late blight, and root flies. Even after 24 hours of submersion, following a control plan with treatments every 2-3 days can produce normal seedlings with over 95% survival rate. Ok Hyun-chung, director of the Vegetable Basic Infrastructure Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, said, "The strawberry seedling cultivation period overlaps with the rainy season, raising concerns about flooding damage" and emphasized that "securing healthy seedlings through prior prevention and swift post-disaster management is crucial." chinakim@yna.co.kr

[Agricultural, Fishery, and Livestock Newspaper = Reporter Kim Jung-hee] Hongseong County Agricultural Technology Center (Director Lee Seung-bok) expressed deep concern about the spread of strawberry pest and disease damage during the rainy season, urging strawberry nursery farmers to pay special attention to thorough pest control and environmental management in response to high-temperature, humid conditions and lack of sunlight. According to the technology center, diseases in the strawberry nursery stage can directly impact harvest quality, not just causing simple growth damage, making prevention and monitoring activities more critical than ever. With prolonged rain and high humidity creating an environment conducive to rapid pathogen reproduction, particularly for anthracnose, gray mold, and powdery mildew, farmers are advised to be vigilant.