Research of the Month

Better berries through integration

Jayesh Samtani’s research and Extension program keeps sustainable, economically viable berry production in Virginia by adapting to needs and informing growers.

By Julie Shlisky

Associate Professor and Small Fruit Extension Specialist Jayesh Samtani knows a good berry — and how to grow one sustainably. His research at Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center aims to help small fruit growers maintain high yields and fruit quality while reducing environmental impacts. Taking a systems-based approach, Samtani designs research projects with practical, measurable outcomes for strawberry and other small fruit producers.

Central to this work is Samtani’s USDA‑NIFA Hatch project, which explores how emerging technologies such as drone imaging, biostimulants, and improved fertilizer management strategies can benefit strawberry production. Hatch funding supports long‑term, high‑priority research focused on strengthening agriculture, rural communities, and consumer welfare. Working with faculty collaborators across CALS, and supported by additional grants from specialty crop organizations, Samtani approaches the berry from every angle.

Though not a major crop in Virginia, Samtani’s expertise builds capacity — it informs other regional fruit growing programs like those at NC State and the University of Georgia, as well as the local Virginian.

“Virginia is a populated state with urban pockets,” Samtani said. “Consumers here deserve locally grown food, not just clamshell food containers with strawberries grown elsewhere. Identifying the best varieties for local growers and for consumer satisfaction is an important project.”

One project, conducted with Abhilash Chandel of the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center, uses drone imagery to improve disease detection in strawberry fields. By correlating plant characteristics captured in aerial images with the potential for disease outbreaks, the team aims to identify problems before visible symptoms appear.

This work addresses a critical need for strawberry growers, who face increasing pressure from plant diseases, climate variability, and rising production costs. Pathogen‑caused fruit and crown rots are among the most damaging strawberry diseases, capable of reducing yields by up to 50 percent.

Traditional disease detection methods rely on destructive, manual sampling and offer limited value for real‑time management decisions. Drone‑based imaging, by contrast, could enable earlier and more targeted interventions, improving both productivity and efficiency.

Samtani is also investigating strategies to improve plant health and fruit quality using biostimulants — seaweed‑ or microbe‑derived compounds that are increasingly used in commercial production but remain poorly understood.

With funding from the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium and the Virginia Agricultural Council, Samtani leads a collaborative project with Guillaume Pilot, associate professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Their research has demonstrated that certain biostimulants can enhance plant vigor and fruit quality beyond standard production practices.

Improving fertilization efficiency is another key focus of Samtani’s research program. Current strawberry fertilization guidelines are largely based on decades‑old studies conducted on a single cultivar despite the widespread adoption of newer varieties of strawberries with potentially different nutrient requirements. This has created long‑standing gaps in fertilizer recommendations for growers in the Mid‑ and South‑Atlantic regions. By developing tailored, cultivar‑specific fertilization standards, Samtani’s work aims to reduce unnecessary input costs while minimizing nutrient losses to the environment.

Samtani’s collaborative efforts extend beyond strawberries. Within CALS, he works with Dennis Cladis and Yun Yin in the Department of Food Science and Technology to examine bioactive nutrients in blackberry cultivars and to study how specific treatments influence blackberry aroma.

Meaningful Extension programming is a distinctive product of Samtani’s work; he’s been recognized for his impactful Virginia Cooperative Extension publications. He regularly provides training to commercial and community growers, emphasizing practical, science‑based tools that support sustainable production.

“Regional growers can adopt technologies that improve the sustainability of strawberry production,” Samtani said. “We focus on practical tools for resilient strawberry production in a changing agricultural landscape.”

Programs range from technology adoption to hands‑on workshops, such as standardized pruning techniques that improve yield, fruit flavor, and disease. Extension programming can “use specialists for our expertise,” Samtani said — and his work ensures that expertise remains grounded in real‑world needs.

To learn more about this story, contact Julie Shlisky at juliesb@vt.edu.