Berry Grow

软果行业在过去20年里发生了几乎面目全非的变化，草莓、树莓和蓝莓的平均产量在2000年至2019年期间分别每公顷增加172%、98%和118%，这主要是由于转向无土(基质)保护性栽培。该行业每年价值22亿GB，2014-2018年间销量同比增长7%(DEFRA园艺统计)，草莓是主要作物(16亿GB)。由于不断上涨的成本、运输成本和供应竞争，椰子基质的可用性可能成为软果生产的主要制约因素。该项目旨在展示一系列软果作物如何在可持续的英国生产的补充基质中生长和抑制疾病。Coir在根区周围保持过多的水分，从而产生有利于根部病原体感染和传播的过度浇水条件，与Coir不同，这种基质具有出色的水管理能力，支持行业减少用水量、化肥使用量和淋溶；改善当地水质，帮助减少其环境足迹，转向更可持续的生长介质。

The soft-fruit industry has changed almost beyond recognition over the past 20 years, with average yields of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries increasing 172%, 98% and 118% per ha respectively between 2000 and 2019, driven primarily by the switch to soil-less (substrate) protected cultivation. The sector is valued at £2.2bn annually with year-on-year volume growth of 7% between 2014-2018 (DEFRA Horticultural Statistics), strawberry being the major crop (£1.6bn). Availability of coir substrate is likely to become a major constraint in soft fruit production due to rising costs, transport costs and competition for supply. This project aims to demonstrate how a range of soft fruit crops grow and suppress disease in a sustainable UK produced supplemented substrate. Unlike Coir which holds excess moisture around the root zone creating over watering conditions which favour root pathogen infection and spread, this substrate has excellent water management capacity, supporting the industry need to reduce water use, fertiliser use and leaching; improving local water quality and helping to reduce its environmental footprint towards a more sustainable growing media.