Strawberry production in forced and protected culture in Europe as a response to climate change

Abstract

In Europe, the production of strawberry for fresh market in forced and protected conditions is increasing. These techniques were initially aimed at enhancing the earliness of Junebearing short day varieties. Nowadays, the objective is to have year-round fruit availability, forcing and preserving strawberry crops against adverse weather conditions. The new high-quality low-chilling varieties widely expanded winter-spring strawberry production in the Mediterranean climate with autumn planting, while the diffusion of day-neutral everbearing varieties increased spring-summer yields in more continental climates, avoiding the extremely cold winter with spring planting. Finally, the use of tray-plants significantly increased late summer-fall strawberry production with summer programmed planting. The present review analyzes the recent evolution of strawberry cultivars and cultivation systems under plastic tunnels and in greenhouses. The physiological effects on plant architecture and propagation are discussed. In conclusion, we can affirm that strawberry growers are facing climate change with innovations in cultivated varieties and cultural techniques, and by the integration of the different production areas, with their specific optimum yield seasons, to continuously fulfill the demands of the European market.