Strawberry harvesting reaches its peak momentum. - Strawberry yield reaching maximum levels
Boom in Strawberry Production Amid Soil-Less Cultivation Trend in Bavaria
The strawberry harvest is currently flourishing across Bavaria, with farmers persisting in their efforts despite a cooler-than-usual May. "The pace is really picking up now," affirms Benedikt Ganger, a spokesperson for the Bavarian Fruit Growers' Association based in Munich. To facilitate the labor-intensive process, farmers are increasingly resorting to soil-less cultivation methods.
Soil-less cultivation, or substrate-based growing systems, involves setting up racks underneath greenhouse tunnels on which strawberry plants grow at around 1.30 meters in height. Ganger, who operates a strawberry farm in Niedermotzing (district of Straubing-Bogen) over approximately 45.5 hectares, has about 5.5 hectares under soil-less cultivation. This method offers several advantages, he explains. Workers experience less fatigue due to the absence of kneeling, and plants are less susceptible to diseases or slug infestation.
While this technique rectifies various issues, it doesn't address drought problems. A scarcity of rainfall necessitates irrigation. Ganger has rainwater storage facilities that accommodate 7,000 and 35,000 cubic liters, providing a water reserve during dry periods. However, May in Bavaria this year has not only been dry but unusually cold. Although low temperatures don't harm strawberry plants, frost remains a concern. It necessitates the covering of freestanding strawberry plants with fleece at night to protect them from frost damage, which unfortunately affected some farmers in Bavaria.
An ideal environment for strawberries centers around night temperatures of around eight degrees Celsius. These conditions encourage slower growth, resulting in larger fruit with a more profound flavor.
Despite the traditional strawberry season commencing in early May and typically lasting until August, protected cultivation extends the harvest period in Germany. Farmers can now begin harvesting strawberries as early as mid-April, occasionally extending the season until November.
Protected cultivation encompasses greenhouse-grown strawberries, which may be heated using waste heat from biogas plants, and strawberries growing under greenhouse tunnels without heating. As for asparagus and cucumber cultivation, the labor issue remains difficult in the strawberry sector as well. Sadly, recruiting workers for the harvest is becoming increasingly challenging due to rising labor costs and energy expenses, which eventually impact the prices.
To cope with these challenges, forward-thinking farmers in Bavaria are investing in protected cultivation and soil-less systems with racks to create long-term solutions and ensure strawberry farming's continuation in Germany.
The surge in strawberry production in Bavaria, accompanied by the trend of soil-less cultivation, raises questions about the community policy regarding food-and-drink production, particularly in home-and-garden settings. As this method becomes more popular, it is crucial to assess the environmental impacts of such practices on the overall lifestyle of the community.
Moreover, with the shift towards soil-less cultivation, there is a growing need for policies that address water management, especially during dry periods or cold spring months, to ensure the sustainability of this farming method and maintain the quality of the environment and produce.
