As the state's strawberry growing season approaches, new University of Florida (UF) research presented findings on intermittent irrigation,  a water-saving technique that can reduce water needs by up to 67% without impacting yields.

Typically, establishing young strawberry plants requires substantial water, with growers using over 600,000 gallons per acre during the initial 10-14-day establishment period. However, the UF study found that alternating sprinkler cycles on and off can save up to half a million gallons per acre per season, while still achieving the same fruit yields.

Photo courtesy of University of Florida.

This conservation method is especially crucial as Florida's population is projected to grow from 21.5 million to 26 million by 2040, putting increased pressure on the state's water resources. Conserving water is also vital for sustaining Florida's $434 million strawberry industry.

“This is a significant amount, especially considering the establishment period lasts only up to two weeks, and there are more than 14,000 acres of strawberry production in Florida,” said Agehara, a faculty member at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “Using an intermittent sprinkler program can reduce water use during the establishment period by 50 to 67%.”

The study's findings surprised researchers, who had expected intermittent irrigation to negatively impact plant establishment and yields. In fact, for some strawberry varieties like 'Florida Brilliance', the method actually increased yields by 27% in one season without affecting fruit quality.

Moving forward, the UF team plans to conduct on-farm trials so growers can directly see the water savings and productivity impacts of this intermittent irrigation approach. Their goal is to establish this water-conserving technique as a new standard practice for strawberry production in Florida.

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