Strawberry yield over red versus black plastic mulch

Plastic mulches are frequently used in raised-bed culture of strawberry (Fr agaria x ananassa Duch) to conserve water, control weeds with less herbicid es, and keep Fruit dean. The most commonly used plastic mulch color is blac k. It was hypothesized that a specially formulated red plastic mulch that r eflects a higher far-red to red photon ratio could regulate photosynthate a llocation enough to increase yield of strawberry, Yields over the red plast ic (SRM-Red) were compared with those over standard black plastic in held e xperiments at a research center and on a commercial strawberry farm. Yield per plant and size per berry were greater over the red than over the black plastic at both locations, The yield advantage of red mulch relative to bla ck occurred whether the red plastic was placed directly over the soil or ov er a layer of black plastic. It is concluded that strawberries were larger over the new red plastic mulch because reflected far-red and red light affe cted phytochrome-mediated allocation of photosynthate, and more was directe d to developing fruit.