Press Release from Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension  Station, Ministry of Agriculture

Greenhouse Strawberry with Elevated Three-Dimensional Cultivation Stabilizes Yield and Reduces Production Risks

March 4, 2024

　　Strawberry is an important economic crop globally, but it is increasingly challenged by rising summer temperatures and extreme weather conditions year after year. These challenges include difficulties in seedling propagation, emerging diseases, and poor adaptability of varieties, presenting severe challenges to Taiwan's strawberry industry. To reduce production risks and stabilize yields, Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station of the Ministry of Agriculture (hereinafter TYDARES) has adopted a labor-saving and more precise method of "greenhouse strawberry elevated three-dimensional cultivation." This method integrates various technologies, including medium and fertilization techniques, three-dimensional cultivation racks, greenhouse microclimate control, moisture and nutrient adjustment, automation, and informatization management, combined with smart and innovative agricultural technologies to promote the sustainable development of the strawberry industry.

　　TYDARES stated that strawberries are a high-economic-value crop, but domestic production costs are high, with labor costs alone accounting for 45% of the direct production expenses. To promote labor-saving and precision cultivation models, the greenhouse elevated three-dimensional cultivation method replaces traditional open-field cultivation. This not only significantly reduces the labor intensity for producers but also increases work efficiency by 30-50% and yields per unit area by 1.5 times, further allowing managers to expand the scale of operations and increase profits. The station pointed out that precision cultivation management primarily involves greenhouse cultivation. By utilizing automated irrigation and nutrient solution equipment in greenhouses, plants can receive timely water and nutrients they need for rapid growth. Strawberry cultivation management spans a long period, and to enhance management efficiency and precise control, the future will integrate cultivation parameters for automated and smart greenhouse management, realizing labor-saving, low-risk, and optimized yield and quality scientific agriculture, promoting the industry towards smart technology agriculture.

　　TYDARES emphasizes that strawberry cultivation management lasts up to half a year. The flowering and fruiting of plants are greatly influenced by the environment, and mature fruits are prone to rot during the rainy season, causing losses to farmers' incomes. Therefore, to ensure that strawberries can flower and bear fruit normally, the station has conducted research and development on cultivation medium types, fertilization amounts, fertilization periods, nutrient solution formulas, elevated three-dimensional cultivation, facility automation, and smart management technologies for greenhouse strawberry elevated cultivation. Through the introduction of precision cultivation management techniques, the goal is to ensure stable strawberry yields and improved quality, achieving the goal of reducing production risks. Moreover, the station actively assists young farmers and enterprises in the north to invest in the production of smart-managed greenhouse strawberry elevated three-dimensional cultivation, developing a unique urban agricultural production and tourist strawberry farm operation model in the north to increase farmers' incomes.

Contact Information：

Spokesperson and Deputy Director: Yang-Jen Fu, Tel: 03-4768216 ext. 101, Mobile: 0919872010

Sinpu sub-station: Assistant Researcher Guo-Wei Luo, Tel: 03-5894949 ext. 12

Agricultural Extension Section: Associate Researcher Shing-Jong Lay, Tel: 03-4768216 ext. 410

Fig. 1. Different Types of Strawberry Three-Dimensional Racks.

Fig 2. Greenhouse Strawberry Elevated Three-Dimensional Cultivation.

Fig. 3. Farmers’ Visit to Learn About Automated Management of Greenhouse Strawberries

Fig. 4. Using Sensors to Collect Greenhouse Parameters for Management Decision.

Fig. 5. Labor-Saving Automated Irrigation and Nutrient Solution Equipment.

Fig. 6. Smart Greenhouse Monitoring System.