ABSTRACT
The majority of strawberries produced in the world are grown in open fields, and only in the past 50 years has protected cropping become established as a commercially viable system. Soilless culture (hydroponics) is an important component of this form of intensive production because it enables the strawberry crop to be grown above the ground (table-top system) which can provides an improved root environment, nutrition, and irrigation, and at the same time easier fruit harvesting. Solid media systems predominate over liquid-based systems with peat and coir being the most popular media. Future production appears to be increasingly toward year-round production by the improved control of the plant environment, combined with reducing harvesting costs by robotic harvesting.
