Weather INnovations Incorporated (WIN), in cooperation with OMAFRA, is conducting a row cover research trial in strawberries for the 09/10 winter season. Three treatments: straw mulch, floating row cover and no cover, are being compared over the winter on the yield and vigour of Albion strawberries the following year. The research plot is situated in a commercial field in Delhi, Ontario.

The first replicate site is fully automated with a crown-height air temperature sensor and a soil temperature sensor (10cm depth) in each of the three treatments. A standard height (1.2m) air temperature sensor was also installed to characterize the winter, as well as the fluctuations between surface and air temperatures. Two additional replicate sites are monitoring identical crown height and soil temperatures with manual loggers.

If you are interested in near real-time monitoring on your farm, or have any questions regarding this research trial, please contact Ian Nichols at inichols@weatherinnovations.com or 519-352-5334 ext. 223