R0A RJCUTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER
 J''IFAS, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
 13138 LEWIS GALLAGHER ROAD
 0 Florida DOVER, FL 33527

Dover AREC Res arch Report DOV1988-2 July 1988

SOIL TEST PROC DURES TO PREDICT STRAWBERRY FRUITING RESPONSE WHEN
ALL SOLUBLE D SLOW-RELEASE FERTILIZER IS APPLIED PRIOR TO
 MULCHING

 E. E. lbregts, C. M. Howard, and C. K. Chandler1
 INTRODUCTION

Sandy soils, s ch as those used for strawberry production in
Florida, are ge erally subject to nutrient leaching, which occurs
because of exc ss rainfall or irrigation. Thus the nutrient
status of a s ndy soil can be changed quite drastically by
rainfall or ir igation in a short period of time. To reduce
leaching, many rops are grown on raised beds to permit the plant
roots and the a plied fertilizer to be above the surface water.
When polyethylee mulch is added, the possibility of leaching as a
result of rai fall or irrigation is reduced. However,
considerable le ching can still occur with raised beds and
polyethylene mu ch. This occurs if the water table rises to
saturate part o all of the bed or large amounts of water enter
through the plan ing holes. In either case, as the water drains,
portions of the soluble fertilizer move with it and out of the
root zone. Le ching can be further reduced if part of the
fertilizer nitro en is derived from a slow release source (sulfur
coated urea, IBD osmocote, etc) and/or if it is positioned in
the bed to avoid most if not all of the excess water movement.
Generally, with he two row strawberry bed, the volume of the bed
least likely to each is in the bed center near the soil surface.

Soil testing as well as tissue testing have long been used to
indicate the fer ility of the soil and nutritional status of the
plant. Soil tests have been used for several decades on the
heavier soils (s ils which have some silt and clay) to indicate
the soil nutrient needs to produce high yields of a given crop.
Also soil tests re used regularly now on the sandy soils of
Florida to deter ine crop needs; however, leaching during the
cropping season f equently negates the soil test.

Tissue tests can inform growers only of the present nutritional
status of plants. A soil test that could give growers the status


Professor of Soi Scientist, Professor of Plant Pathology, and
Asnifsftant P-ofao-pr Plant RnoAor, rAepocti.vely.