As the demand for locally grown produce, particularly fresh fruits like blueberries and strawberries, continues to surge, the imperative for year-round production becomes increasingly evident. While these fruits are globally recognized for their extended-season production potential in controlled environments, the intricate environmental factors crucial for improved production and profitability remain partially understood, including the impact of soilless substrates. Amid growing concerns about the availability of internationally sourced substrates, such as coconut coir, this study explores an alternative approach to reduce reliance on such components, particularly in the cultivation of two small fruits rapidly integrated into controlled environments. Substrate stratification, involving the vertical layering of substrates within a single container, has shown promise in nursery and greenhouse settings, enhancing resource efficiency in terms of water and fertilizer inputs. However, no research has assessed the application of stratified substrates for fruit crops with the specific aim of reducing coir inputs in greenhouse production. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate whether stratifying coir over low-cost, hammer-milled processed tree fiber could effectively decrease coir usage, dependency, and associated costs within the controlled environment fruit production industry. 'Albion' strawberries and 'Star' blueberries were cultivated in five substrate treatments, ranging from 100% coir to various stratified layers beneath coir, including 25%, 50%, and 75% coir compositions, as well as a 100% processed tree fiber treatment. Results suggest that employing substrate stratification enhanced plant growth for both fruit crops, indicating its potential utility in optimizing controlled environment fruit production while reducing reliance on costly substrate materials like coir. Further analysis will elucidate the full implications of this innovative approach on production efficiency and profitability.
