Strawberry Farming? Not Just Experience but Microscope... Ulsan Agricultural Technology Center's 'Flower Bud Differentiation Inspection' Service

Support for Timely Planting of Strawberry Seedlings to Ensure High Quality and Early Harvest

The Ulsan Agricultural Technology Center (Director Shin Taeman) is launching a 'Floral Differentiation Inspection Service' for farmers until September 15, coinciding with the planting season of strawberry seedlings in the fields. 'Floral differentiation inspection' refers to the process of examining the buds that will develop into flowers under a microscope.

Strawberries, a high-income crop, are known to have their yield and harvest timing greatly influenced by the quality of seedlings before planting. Especially, to ship high-quality strawberries early from November, when prices are highest, through January of the following year, timely planting of superior seedlings is crucial.

The 'floral differentiation inspection' process of observing strawberry seedlings under a microscope to identify the growing point in order to determine the optimal time for transplanting into the field.

However, selecting seedlings that have undergone floral differentiation before planting requires observing the small growth points hidden inside the crown (the junction where the seedling's stem and roots meet) under a microscope, which has been a challenge. As a result, farmers have relied solely on experience until now.

The Agricultural Technology Center plans to help farmers produce high-quality strawberries by identifying the most suitable planting time for each farm through the 'Floral Differentiation Inspection Service.'

Farmers wishing to check the floral differentiation status can visit the Agricultural Technology Center with 3 to 5 strawberry seedlings per farm by September 15 or request an on-site visit. The staff will collect the seedlings and provide the inspection service.

The service is free of charge, and for more details, please contact the Crop Environment Team at the Agricultural Technology Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.