Opportunities and challenges for strawberry cultivation in urban food production systems

Abstract

Societal Impact StatementCultivation of strawberry plants in urban production systems, whether in green open‐air spaces or under some form of protected horticulture such as vertical farming, has demonstrated to be challenging to new farmers and businesses. Commercial strawberry producers have an advanced understanding of strawberry plant physiology, enabling them to grow the crop successfully and profitably. Lack of knowledge exchange between commercial growers and new urban farmers seems to result in the abandonment of strawberries as crop of choice in urban systems. This review will confront the specific plant science challenges urban growers need to address to incorporate this nutritional crop into their revolutionary urban growing systems, whilst achieving good quality produce with high yields.SummaryTo ensure a sustainable future of farming, urban horticulture (UH) will need to be a key part of our everyday life. There are increasing demands for higher productivity and more locally produced food, even close to densely populated urban areas, to address environmental pressures and accelerate the resilience of modern food systems. UH is a broad term and can include numerous cultivation methods; rooftop gardens, public spaces, vertical walls, indoor vertical farms, as well as an array of crops including, salads, soft fruits and trees. Crops such as strawberries are expected to soon make a significant contribution to UH. Urban strawberry production promises all‐year round fruit availability, reduced reliance on imports, increased self‐sufficiency, lower food miles, a supply of high‐quality fresh fruits from hyper‐local spaces, increased employment opportunities, welfare benefits and an opportunity to promote a sense of community. Strawberry is a complex perennial crop with agronomical challenges, which requires specialist knowledge that is not always available to new urban farmers. Achieving an urban version of a strawberry field will require knowledge exchange between the commercial rural strawberry producers and the newly entered urban growers. Plant physiology, management of plant pathogens, choice of propagation material, fertigation, pollination and environmental requirements are the most common challenges for urban strawberry production. This review aims to consolidate the common bottleneck challenges of UH for new urban strawberry facilities.