Cal Poly Strawberry Center

Cal Poly Strawberry Center The Strawberry Center is a research and education center at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Our mission is to ensure the sustainability of the CA strawberry industry through research and education that addresses grower needs.🍓

The Strawberry Center was very well-represented at the CAFES Research Symposium. Six graduate students and four undergra...
06/01/2026

The Strawberry Center was very well-represented at the CAFES Research Symposium. Six graduate students and four undergraduate students participated in the poster session, presenting on a diverse range of projects. Our very own Colin Koubek, won first place in the graduate student research competition! That's the fourth time in five years that a Strawberry Center graduate student has won this award! Congratulations to all of our amazing students!

05/28/2026

🚩FIELD DAY REGISTRATION IS NOW LIVE!!🚩
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cal-poly-strawberry-center-field-day-july-23-2026-tickets-1987532633610
EVENT: Cal Poly Strawberry Center 10th Annual Field Day
WHEN: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Join more than 600 strawberry growers, researchers and industry representatives for this year's event. Participants will rotate through five interactive stations showcasing over 20 dynamic demonstrations led by students, staff and industry partners. Topics include the newest automation technology, arthropod pests and predators, soil-borne pathogens of strawberry and much more! Lunch will be served.

We had a great time sharing a hands-on presentation during the Great AGVenture, hosted by the SLO County Agricultural Ed...
05/26/2026

We had a great time sharing a hands-on presentation during the Great AGVenture, hosted by the SLO County Agricultural Education Committee! 🍓

Six groups of 4th graders had the chance to look through a microscope, explore strawberry pathogens, learn about pest management, and gain insight into the broader CA strawberry industry. A huge thank you to undergraduate students Karla Rodriguez, Angel Castaneyra, and Caedence Rice for making this experience possible!

Inspiring the next generation about agriculture is one of the favorite parts of our outreach opportunities and we hope some of these students will one day pursue agriculture as a field of study or career.

🚩🌱 Field Day registration opens in ONE week!Register on Thursday, May 28th at 9 AM for the Cal Poly Strawberry Center 10...
05/21/2026

🚩🌱 Field Day registration opens in ONE week!
Register on Thursday, May 28th at 9 AM for the Cal Poly Strawberry Center 10th Annual Field Day
EVENT:
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Join more than 600 strawberry growers, researchers and industry representatives for this year's event. Participants will rotate through five interactive stations showcasing over 20 dynamic demonstrations led by students, staff and industry partners. Topics include the newest automation technology, arthropod pests and predators, soil-borne pathogens of strawberry and much more! Lunch will be served. A huge thank you to Kula Bio for sponsoring registration!

https://strawberry.calpoly.edu/field-day-2026

05/19/2026

Dr. Mohammad Amir Aghaee (Entomology Program Leader at the Strawberry Center) gave a lecture at Cal Poly on "Arthropod Pest Management in California Strawberry Production."

Thank you Mohammad for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with our students!

Interested in watching the full lecture? Click here: https://youtu.be/sfg3kqs5JDg?si=yC0Hh5WQ24r2dYCs

Would you rather sit in a dark room and watch a slideshow about strawberry production or walk to a field of strawberries...
05/11/2026

Would you rather sit in a dark room and watch a slideshow about strawberry production or walk to a field of strawberries and observe the crop first-hand? Putting the Learn by Doing" mantra into practice, Center Director Gerald Holmes gave a guest lecture for Dr. Lauren Garner's Pomology II lab. Students were taught about strawberry anatomy, production practices, diseases and pests, all while standing in a field of strawberries. They even got to pick a clamshell full of ripe fruit and take them home!

Our Entomology Program Leader, Dr. Mohammad Amir Aghaee, spoke at the Entomological Society of America's Pacific Branch ...
05/08/2026

Our Entomology Program Leader, Dr. Mohammad Amir Aghaee, spoke at the Entomological Society of America's Pacific Branch meeting in Spokane, Washington! He gave an invited talk about pest management in California strawberries. Opportunities like these allow us to share our work and build collaborations across academia and industry. 🍓

We're proud to celebrate our very own Plant Pathology Program Leader, Dr. Shashika Hewavitharana (4th from left), for be...
05/05/2026

We're proud to celebrate our very own Plant Pathology Program Leader, Dr. Shashika Hewavitharana (4th from left), for being recognized as an honoree for the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Her leadership and mentorship continue to make a lasting impact within the Strawberry Center, Cal Poly and beyond. We're incredibly grateful to have her as part of our team.

We also extend our congratulations to Strawberry Center alum Sandra Gonzalez (2nd from left), who received this honor as well. Congratulations to all of the honorees for a well-deserved recognition and we thank you for your contributions to the industry!

https://content-calpoly-edu.s3.amazonaws.com/strawberry/1/documents/Strawberry%20Dinner%20-%20Women%20in%20Ag%202026%20%281%29.pdf

Student assistant Olivia Bruns is evaluating strawberries for a Botrytis fruit rot fungicide efficacy study. For the po...
05/01/2026

Student assistant Olivia Bruns is evaluating strawberries for a Botrytis fruit rot fungicide efficacy study. For the postharvest evaluation, fruit is stored at room temperature and evaluated at 2-day intervals over a 10-day period. Fruit with visible fungal growth are recorded as decayed and discarded from the tray to avoid fruit-to-fruit spread of disease. Results from this study will be presented at our field day. Stay tuned for more!

Our pathology lab team had the incredible opportunity to visit Driscoll’s research facility in Oxnard and tour five on-s...
04/28/2026

Our pathology lab team had the incredible opportunity to visit Driscoll’s research facility in Oxnard and tour five on-site departments with past Strawberry Center alum Sarah White. During the visit, we walked through some of their research plots featuring strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

It was a wonderful chance for our students to see what research looks like in an industry setting and to learn more about potential career paths. A huge thank you to Sarah White and the Driscoll’s team for hosting us, and to Marina Gutierrez and Shashika Hewavitharana for organizing this visit!

Address

1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA
93405

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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