Strawberry Yields: UK

Strawberry cultivation in the UK reached 13000 hectares by 1924. While the area today is just one-third of the 1924 area, strawberry production has more than doubled due to yield per hectare increasing 5-6 fold. A major factor in increased strawberry yields in the UK has been the increased use and variety of fungicides used.

“The second productivist practice was the increased use of plant protection products from the 1960s. In 1965, up to 11% of the strawberry crops were not sprayed with pesticides; this figure had decreased to less than 2% by 2006. The spray area for fungicides also increased, from 6058 ha in 1965 to 45,960 ha in 2006. This is higher than the area of land cultivated for strawberries since it takes into account multiple sprays per season. The increased use of pesticides during this phase contributed to increasing yields, by decreasing disease pressure. This also had an impact on reducing yearly variations in yield, as pesticides enabled growers to reduce the impact of weather on their crop by reducing disease incidence.”

Authors: Calleja, E. J., et al.
Affiliation: University of Warwick, UK.
Title: Agricultural change and the rise of the British strawberry industry, 1920-2009.
Source: Journal of Rural Studies. 2012. 28:603-611.