ABSTRACT
In the period 1965–1980 strawberry growing in The Netherlands changed from a perennial system with plants producing for the processing industry to an annual one with plants producing for the fresh market. Nowadays these plants are grown annually on specialized holdings on which crop rotation is often no longer part of the growing system. An other major change in strawberry growing comprises the prolongation of the picking period, using perforated plastic film as a cover of the plants in spring, using cold stored plants, and using ever bearing varieties. In woody soft fruit the growth of red currants and gooseberries in hedgerows, the upright growth of new canes in thornless blackberries and the introduction of grass strips on bigger holdings being partial to mechanization, are the major changes in the growing systems. The consequences of the changes for the weed control are discussed.
