News » 09.07.2026 - Coco coir substrate opens new possibilities for professional strawberry production
Strawberry production in Huelva is entering a phase where productive efficiency no longer depends solely on variety selection, planting schedules, or labor availability. It also depends on the ability of the growing system to cope with exhausted soils, pathogen pressure, and erratic weather events that demand more precise water and nutrition management. With that in mind, Javier Cánovas, agronomist at Pelemix, presented a paper at the recent International Berry Congress in Huelva focused on hydroponic strawberry cultivation on coco coir, a tool for operations that need greater predictability, uniformity, and room to maneuver in a high-value, physiologically sensitive crop.
The limits of soil
The proposal responds directly to the current state of traditional soil-based cultivation. Problems that were managed for years through soil disinfestation, fertilizer adjustments, or changes in practice are now proving increasingly difficult to resolve from one season to the next. "Diseases such as Verticillium, Phytophthora, and nematodes persist in the field and affect crop performance, while the progressive reduction in available disinfestation tools, combined with ever-stricter permitted doses, limits growers' ability to agronomically reset the soil at the start of each season. On top of that disease pressure comes the natural variability of the land itself, because no field behaves uniformly across its entire surface or responds the same way from one year to the next. That makes it difficult to apply consistent management when the root system is developing in a medium that does not always offer the same structure, the same aeration, or the same water availability."
In Huelva specifically, the difficulty of understanding what is happening below the soil surface becomes a particularly significant factor. "In traditional systems, water and fertilizers are applied, but the soil does not return direct, measurable information about what the plant is actually consuming. Many fertigation decisions therefore rely on experience, visual observation, and successive corrections, with the risk of applying more than necessary or losing nutrients without being able to accurately quantify process efficiency. And when unexpected weather events occur, such as heavy rainfall at sensitive moments in the season, the inertia of the soil leaves little room to react quickly, because the medium takes time to drain, correct itself, and return to conditions suitable for root development."
The blend is the key: chips and pith
Against those limitations, coco coir offers a particularly interesting combination for strawberries. "It retains water without losing air porosity, works within a pH range suited to the crop, typically between 5.5 and 6.8, and starts from a clean medium with no pathogens and no prior agronomic history, which reduces the uncertainty associated with soils that have accumulated several growing cycles. Its homogeneous structure delivers more predictable behavior, while its natural, renewable, and biodegradable origin fits well with an agriculture that seeks greater control without abandoning sustainability and resource efficiency."
Particle size, in particular, makes a significant difference. Chips, with coarse particles between 4 and 16 millimeters, increase air porosity and promote rapid drainage, though they retain less water, while pith, made up of fine particles smaller than 4 millimeters, offers greater water retention but slower drainage. For that reason, typical blends for strawberries can range from 100% pith formulations in warm climates to balanced 30/70 mixes or blends with a higher chip proportion, such as 40/60, which are especially useful in humid winters when root aeration becomes critical.
The container as a growing tool
In this model, the container takes on a primary agronomic role, because the height, volume, and color of the bag all affect the relationship between available water, aeration, root zone temperature, and tolerance to irrigation errors. "In practice, the bag becomes a design tool: it can be white or black depending on whether you want to reflect or absorb heat, it can work at heights of 10 to 16 centimeters, and it can handle volumes of 14 to 26 liters per linear meter, typically with 11 to 13 plants, which allows you to modulate tolerance to irrigation failures or the speed of response to adjustments."
As Javier explains, a white bag provides more margin for error in warm conditions because it reflects heat, while a black bag can be useful in winter or in cooler areas by promoting thermal absorption. Similarly, a larger substrate volume provides more inertia and tolerance in the event of a temporary irrigation failure, valuable when the system is still being fine-tuned, while a smaller volume allows faster responses but demands greater precision in water and nutrition management. "The key is not to choose a fixed recipe, but to define a methodology where height, particle size, color, volume, and irrigation program are designed together."
From medium control to higher yields and better returns: the 5 advantages of hydroponic strawberry growing
"Hydroponic cultivation on coco coir allows you to decide precisely what the root receives in terms of electrical conductivity, pH, nutrients, and water volume, while at the same time reducing dependence on the soil and its accumulated disease burden."
"Irrigation can be adjusted on demand, drainage can be analyzed, and where the design allows, it is even possible to move toward closed-loop systems or strategies that deliver greater water and nutritional efficiency."
"From a production standpoint, this model enables a higher seasonal yield potential, more vigorous early root development, and more regular, uniform production. In terms of labor, working on elevated structures at 70–100 centimeters introduces a significant ergonomic improvement in a crop where harvesting and manual tasks carry considerable weight in both costs and workforce availability."
Fertigation: nutrition driven by real data
Fertigation is probably the point where the difference between soil and hydroponic growing becomes most apparent, because leachate transforms nutrition into continuous, measurable information. "The nutrient solution entering the system is calibrated by growth stage, whether establishment, flowering, or production, with defined EC and pH targets, while the output, through drainage, allows you to read how the root system is performing and what is happening inside the container. The difference between the incoming and outgoing solution reflects the plant's actual consumption and helps fine-tune the formula according to the phenological stage. At the same time, a drainage rate of 20–30% contributes to salt leaching and prevents accumulations that could compromise the crop's osmotic balance. In this model, drainage is no longer seen as an unavoidable loss, it becomes an active management tool, provided it is measured, interpreted, and used to make corrections."
Coco coir in strawberry cultivation in Huelva is part of a broader shift toward growing systems capable of delivering greater agronomic traceability and tighter control over the variables that determine productivity. "It is, in fact, a mature technology for growers willing to work with data, design the system from the ground up, and accept that control is back in their hands," says the Pelemix representative. Pelemix is a global leader in coco coir substrates for professional cultivation, with more than 500 employees worldwide, seven of its own manufacturing plants, and an active presence in more than 60 countries.
"For a region like Huelva, where strawberries combine specialization with intense international competitive pressure, hydroponic cultivation on coco coir represents a path to greater consistency, reduced uncertainty, and a more professional approach to managing a crop that is fundamental to the province."
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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