Two new June-bearing strawberries have been introduced by ARS plant breeders for the Middle Atlantic and adjacent regions. Primetime, a mid-season berry, bears fancy, good quality, large fruit. Latestar, a late-season variety, has large, attractive fruit. Both varieties are recommended for shipping and local markets and resist multiple fungal diseases. They produce well on either light or heavy soils, and in matted rows or in hill culture.
Plants are available in season at nurseries.
ARS scientists conducted a two-year field study with the legumes. Maine potato farmers, who typically don't use cover crops, must apply 120 to 200 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per acre, depending on the potato variety. But the researchers showed that planting one of the legumes allows reducing the rate without sacrificing yield. Legumes take nitrogen from the air and store it in nodules on their roots. After the legumes die and their roots decay, the next potato crop can use this nitrogen for growth.