In Israel, strawberries are traditionally a winter crop, requiring few hours of daylight and low temperatures, they were hitherto only available between November and May. However, Kibbutz Merom Golan has now found a way to revolutionise strawberry growing and turn it into a summer crop too.
In recent weeks, dozens of fresh strawberry trays have been picked daily as part of a wider trial whose objective is to grow a range of cool season fruits and vegetables in the summer.
It has been reported that last week Kibbutz Merom Golan sent its first consignment comprising 7.5 tonnes of red juicy strawberries to market.
Summer strawberry development was initiated by The Economic Compay for Development of the Upper Galilee Ltd. in conjunction with the Kibbutz Merom Golan agriculture department. Researchers and growers made good use of the kibbutz's high quality soil. So, for the first time in Israel, Golan Heights' soil has produced fine strawberries in a field of no less than 0.3 ha.
Eran Fisher, who is in charge of Merom Golan's field crops and orchards, explains: 'Merom Golan's great advantage is that at 1,000 metres above sea level, the cool nights facilitate the quantities of cold air that allow the strawberries to flourish'.
The new research means that apart from strawberries, winter peas, butch lettuce, spinach, cabbage, prouts and broccoli, which also require cooler weather are being grown in the Golan.
