"Strawberry substrate can be steam-treated and reused without loss of yield"
Source: HD.com
In the 2026 trial, used substrate was collected together with plant residues from the previous crop, shredded and treated using SoilSteam technology. The treated material was then reused as 100% of the growing medium for a new crop of the strawberry variety Sonsation.
Fresh substrate produced a yield of 6.14 kg/m², while steam-treated and reused substrate produced between 6.31 and 6.39 kg/m². By comparison, untreated substrate containing plant residues produced only 5.05 kg/m².
© SoilSteam No significant differences were recorded in fruit quality, firmness, sugar content or shelf life between strawberries grown in fresh and steam-treated substrate. Recorded energy consumption during the trial was reduced from 160 to 90 kWh, a reduction of nearly 44%.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
