Sampling Strawberry Leaves For Nutrient Analysis

 

 

Whether you are in matted-row or plasticulture production, please be sure to remove the petioles from strawberry leaf samples that you send in to labs.

 

The standards were developed from leaf blades without the petioles. The next question is, "But does it matter?"

 

 

Here is a shortened repeat of an article from 2003 when we had analyzed many samples (nearly 200) to answer questions regarding strawberry tissue analyses.

 

Instructions included with plant analysis kits do state to remove the petioles, but a discussion with lab personnel at the Penn State Plant Analysis Lab revealed that nearly all strawberry samples received from growers have consisted of the leaf petiole plus blade.

 

We collected samples of separate petioles and blades to determine whether this discrepancy makes a significant difference in sample results (i.e., could cause incorrect diagnoses). There was a significant difference in the nutrient concentrations in petioles and leaves, plus the petiole is a fairly large proportion of the dry weight, so incorrect interpretations could easily result due to a failure to remove the petioles from samples sent in for a nutrient test.

 

The nitrogen concentration in the petioles was half that in the leaf blades, while the potassium concentration was double. Other elemental concentrations which varied widely between petioles and leaf blades were manganese and the micronutrients manganese, iron, copper, boron, and zinc. The percentage of dry weight of the sample that the petiole comprised ranged from 12% with 'Earliglow' in samples early in the season, to 30% with 'Sweet Charlie' in samples taken later. Therefore, if the petiole is included as part of the sample, it would be easy for deficiencies to be diagnosed that don't exist, or to be missed when in fact present.

 

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.