By Ryan McGeeney
Strawberry growers and other specialty crop producers will have the opportunity to learn about the latest findings in strawberry cultivation research during an April 20 virtual strawberry field walk from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
In light of social distancing and other guidelines in place to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, researchers and administrators at the Division of Agriculture Fruit Research Station in Clarksville decided to move the annual public event online, rather than cancel it outright. The decision was in keeping with the Division of Agriculture’s mission to continue serving producers and other Arkansans during this time, while keeping all participants safe.
The virtual field walk will be available as a webinar on the Zoom online platform. The tour will begin at 2 p.m. CST, and is scheduled to last about an hour. To register for the webinar, visit
https://bit.ly/Strawberry-Field-Walk-Webinar. There is no cost to register or participate.
Amanda McWhirt, extension horticulture specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said participants in the webinar will have the opportunity to see and hear the latest developments in Arkansas-specific horticulture research.
“We look forward to being able to show growers from across the region the research we are conducting, and how the trials are performing, through this online format,” McWhirt said. “Typically, only growers who live within an hour’s drive or less from the research station are able to attend in-person workshops, so the webinar will make it easier for growers who live further away to see our trials up close.”
The tour will be hosted by McWhirt and Aaron Cato, extension horticulture integrated pest management specialist for the Division of Agriculture. The tour will visit strawberry research plots at both the Fruit Research Station and the Vegetable Research Station in Alma, Ark.
Topics planned for the webinar include:
- Strawberry variety trial
- Planting date and row cover trial results
- ProMax and Zap disease management trial
- Pest management observations and recommendations from the season.
Source : uaex.edu