The morning sun warmed the earth, and the dewy air slowly lifted away. A Cal Poly strawberry field lay in organized rows of dirt, ready for planting.
Dozens of students, faculty and farm crew waited at the ends of the soil rows, tightening bootlaces, covering their heads with hats and scarfs, zipping and unzipping cotton sweatshirts as though unable to decide whether the extra layer would provide warmth or discomfort from the coming heat.
Shashika Hewavitharana, Strawberry Center plant pathologist, stood among them, preparing for a long day’s work.
As dozens of boxes of strawberry roots were unloaded from trucks, a fresh aroma filled the surrounding atmosphere, and the team got to work.
The acre of soil that was about to be transformed into hundreds of strawberry plants is an acre diseased with one of the biggest threats to strawberries. Macrophomina crown rot causes the most exterior leaves and foliage to dry and/or die, often leaving the most central leaves alive and well, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The purposely diseased strawberry fields are the greatest source of information for the research performed by the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, and, in turn, the California strawberry industry, Hewavitharana said.
While it’s usually wise to avoid sickness, these artificially inoculated strawberry fields play a significant role in keeping the strawberry industry healthy.
Now, in its 10th year of work, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center employs 12 staff and 42 students to conduct research, according to the Center’s website.
Hewavitharana’s role as a plant pathologist in this team research effort means managing the strawberry pathology lab.
The lab conducts a number of graduate-level research trials while giving undergraduate students hands-on opportunities to examine and help diagnose samples from local strawberry growers, according to Hewavitharana.
“In research, typically things work inside the lab. On small scales, we can make things happen, but we won’t be able to provide the impact in the real world,” Hewavitharana said.
The four main soil-borne pathogens, or diseases, that the Strawberry Center focuses its research on are macrophomina crown rot, fusarium wilt, phytophthora crown and root rot, and verticillium wilt. In other words, the Center focuses on pathogens that infect the crown or roots, causing the leaves and stems to wilt, ultimately killing the plant.
The role of the strawberry pathology lab is similar to that of a doctor’s office. The doctor examines, hypothesizes, diagnoses, and treats people to become healthy again.
The Strawberry Center does the same. While strawberries cannot talk about their symptoms as humans can, the pathology lab examines diseased plants to diagnose and treat the pathogens.
This is good news for California strawberry growers. Aside from testing hundreds of samples per year, the Center’s research is able to provide information to growers about the most resistant breeds of strawberries to combat common pathogens, Hewavitharana said.
Although, the types of research the Strawberry Center conducts are not limited to soil-borne pathogens. Above-ground diseases and pests are also studied through efficacy trials and cultivar resistance research, field research manager for the Center Kyle Blauer said.
Each year, the Center plants anywhere from 50 to 80 different types of strawberry cultivars to examine the most resistant. This year, they are testing 63 different plants, he said
Blauer also said the variations in strawberry plants are used to identify resistant genotypes which are then recommended to growers to cultivate healthy crops.
However, he pointed out that growing at the Strawberry Center is uniquely different from the ways growers farm in the industry.
“We’re trying to grow, and maybe change, some of our practices to make it easier for disease to develop,” he said.
The process of planting strawberries looks simple enough. Hold the stake with one hand and the strawberry roots in the other. Place the root on the dirt and punch it into the soft earth. Look at the sprouts emerging from the black plastic lining of the field, and wait until the young plant becomes infected.
Director of communications for the California Strawberry Commission Jeff Cardinale said this method makes the impact of the Strawberry Center’s research vital to the future of agriculture.
One of the Center’s most significant contributions is saving the industry about $20 million every year, he said.
“[The Center] is a few acres tucked in the corner of campus, but it’s one of the most important acres in California, I can tell you that,” Cardinale said.
California strawberries bring in $3.02 billion to the state annually according to the California Strawberry Commission website, and the Central Coast is home to the largest strawberry producers in the United States.
Also according to their website, California employs more than 70,000 people in the strawberry industry which contains over 400 growers, shippers, and processors.
“It’s really a crop of opportunity,” Cardinale said.
Hewavitharana said the early morning and day-long labor tires her, but the excitement of a new growing season and research opportunities keep her optimistic.
In addition to keeping the California strawberry industry healthy and abundant, Hewavitharana said the Center’s research is for students to gain experience in plant science. The students make it all happen.
“Our team is like a family, we help each other all the time,” she said. “We have a small team, and they can be very kind, supportive, and understanding.”