Hill System Plastic Mulched Strawberry Production Guide for Colder Areas

Authors: Charles R. O'Dell Extension Horticulturist, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech; Jerry Williams, Teaching Hortculturist, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech

Publication Number 438-018, Posted March 2000

TABLE 1 - Production Costs and Projected Income at Low, Medium and High Yield, and at 3 Berry Pricing Levels for 1 Acre of U-Pick Plastic Mulched Strawberries

Management Information

• Stay off low, frost pocket, flood plain areas.
• Overhead sprinkler frost protection (or crop covers) are essential for frost protection. Drip irrigation is essential for supplying water and nutrients under plastic mulch.
• Use plug transplants, 15,000/A 14" in-row for Late Star, 17,424/A for Chandler 12" in-row spacing.
• Fine tune planting date depending on variety and area, to achieve 4-6 branch crowns before spring bloom. Too many branch crowns cause over-competition and small fruit size.
• Start out on a small scale. Over-planting for your market area, especially until consumers know you are in business, can produce a glut of berries resulting in over-ripe, rotting unpicked berries. Intensive, year-round management (field-work) is critical for a successful berry business.

  
  

  	Units	Quantity	Price	Costs
  Variable Costs:
  Annual ryegrass cover crop, row middles	bu	2	$24.00	$48.00
  Plug Transplants, Latestar or Chandler	each	17,424	$0.15	$2,614.00
  Pre-plant fertilizer by Soil Test--N	lb	60	$0.30	$18.00
  Pre-plant fertilizer by Soil Test--P	lb	120	$0.28	$33.60
  Pre-plant fertilizer by Soil Test--K	lb	120	$0.20	$24.00
  Soluble N, Spring Fertigations--N	lb	40	$0.75	$30.00
  Soluble N, Spring Fertigations--Lime	Ton	1	$25.00	$25.00
  Plastic Mulch, 4.5' x 2,400'	Roll	4	$65.00	$260.00
  Custom Bedding/Strip Fumigation	Acre	1	$1,000.00	$1,000.00
  Crop Protectant Spray Supplies	as needed		$141.00	$141.00
  Drip Irrigation w/depreciation	first acre	1	3,000./20%	$600.00
  Containers, plastic buckets (stay on farm)	4-5 Qt size	300	$0.60/25%	$45.00
  Crop covers, 1.25 oz/sq. yard, 4 yr life	Acre	1 A	$2,000/25%	$500.00
  Slant deer fence	Acre	1 A	$1,600/20%	$320.00
  Machinery and Equip. (fuel, oil, maint)	$$	$68.06	$1.00	$68.06
  Operating Interest	$$	$5,726.00	10%	$573.00
  Operating Costs				$6,299.00
  Fixed Costs:
  Labor	Hours	400	$6.00	$2,400.00
  Total Fixed Machine Costs	$$	$173.20	$1.00	$173.20
  Total Fixed Frost Control Costs	$$	$1,800.00	10.00%	$180.00
  Land Charges	$$	$2,000.00	6.00%	$120.00
  Total Costs				$9,172.20

  
  

  Total Costs/Quart, at 1/2 Quart yield per plant (8,712 Qts/Acre)	$1.05
  Total Costs/Quart, at 1 Quart yield per plant (17,424 Qts/Acre)	$0.53
  Total Costs/Quart, at 1.5 Quarts yield per plant (26,136 Qts/Acre)	$0.35

  
  

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