UK: Developing strategies to grow strawberries out of season

The UK strawberry industry is facing significant financial strain, with growers exiting the sector and domestic production declining by 25% in just six years. Yet a third of strawberries are imported, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable, homegrown solutions to meet demand, especially out of season.

To address this challenge, a consortium led by InnoPhyte Consulting Ltd, in collaboration with FlexFarming and Niab, is pioneering an innovative approach for commercial Totally Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) strawberry production. The initiative aims to enhance productivity, optimize resource use, and improve profitability for UK TCEA soft fruit businesses.

One key challenge in strawberry cultivation is over-vigorous canopy growth due to excessive fertilizer inputs. This limits light penetration, increases disease risk, and consumes too much water. Niab is at the forefront of tackling this issue. "Inputs of nitrogen in TCEA, polytunnel, and glasshouse strawberry production often exceed demand, which leads to over-vigorous plant canopies and lower quality fruit," says Dr. Mark Else of Niab. "Our work with polytunnel crops has shown that variety-specific nitrogen-demand models can cut fertilizer inputs by up to 77% while maintaining high Class 1 yields and berry quality, reducing both environmental impact and costs. We think that similar efficiencies can be achieved in TCEA, and in this project, we will develop and test a low-nitrogen growing strategy for commercial out-of-season berry production."

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There are further advantages: lower nitrogen levels mean less powdery mildew, which reduces disease risk. Restricting fertilizer application results in fewer and smaller leaves, minimizing the need for manual leaf removal and cutting operating costs. Finally, using less nitrogen directly reduces climate-warming NOx emissions.

TCEA strawberry cultivation presents unique challenges, including higher resource demands and precarious economics. To overcome these barriers, the consortium will develop and validate a nutrition management model that combines carbon dioxide supplementation with lower nitrogen inputs.

By incorporating MOF (Metal-Organic Framework) technology to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and release it into the growing environment, the team will test whether photosynthetic capacity can be maintained or increased, despite a smaller canopy. MOF technology has the potential to transform TCEA agriculture. By cheaply and efficiently capturing and concentrating CO2 from the atmosphere, an optimal growing environment can be created. This approach enhances plant productivity while reducing energy costs and resource inputs.

The first part of the nitrogen-demand model validation and introduction of CO2 enrichment work will take place at Niab East Malling. In the second year of the project, commercial trials will occur at FlexFarming's facilities. FlexFarming, a leading commercial TCEA strawberry grower, will host real-world testing to assess the commercial and environmental viability of the project's innovations.

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"Strawberry production in TCEA is more complex than leafy greens, but with the right innovations, consistent, high-quality yields can be achieved year-round," says Ahmad Mohseni, CEO at FlexFarming. "By refining nutrition management and incorporating CO2 enrichment, the aim is to make indoor strawberry farming more productive, profitable, and sustainable."

"The outcomes from this project will help to lower inputs, labor, and energy costs, raise Class 1 yields, and improve the consistency of fruit quality in TCEA strawberry production," said Dr. Jim Stevens, Senior Innovation Consultant at InnoPhyte Consulting and Project Manager of the project. "While integrating precision nutrition management with advanced CO2 enrichment presents clear potential to improve yields, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen the resilience of the British strawberry supply chain, it also carries inherent risks that must be carefully managed to ensure long-term sustainability and success."

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As the UK strives to bolster food and nutrition security and reduce reliance on imports, this collaborative effort stands to transform the future of UK out-of-season strawberry production.