According to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert, Texas strawberry growers expect better yields and quality following back-to-back disappointing seasons. Russ Wallace, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Lubbock, said the weather was an issue early, but strawberry producers are now harvesting average to above-average yields and quality.
Much of the state’s strawberry crop were hit with freezing temperatures in January and February. Damage from temperatures around 18 degrees meant surviving plants were very small and needed time to recover. Some producers cover plants to protect them from freezing temperatures, but the cloth typically protects flowers only against lows around 27 degrees.
“Overall, harvest is looking much better than the previous two years, and yields should be average to good,” he said. “They may have been slow to harvest, but plants are pushing hard now and looking better.”
Source: agrilifetoday.tamu.edu