2.7 Read the text again and say if the statements are false or true:

1. Raspberries should be planted in a site where potatoes, tomatoes have grown within the past 3 years.

2. Raspberries grow best in a well-drained soil.

3. You can get best raspberry growth when soil pH is between 6 and 7.

4. Yellow color of leaves may indicate potassium deficiency.

5. You should apply manure in the late fall or early winter.

Text 3 Strawberry

1. R ead the following international words and translate them: adaptation, selection, detail, commercial, method, modern, irrigation, typically, attack, generally.

3.2 Read the following words, paying attention to the pronunciation: measure, liability, emphasis, preferably, fumigate, requirements, sufficient, conjugate, substantially, occur.

3.3 Translate the following word-combinations into Russian: strawberry cultivars, careful site selection, weed growth, fruit development, harvest season, fruit quality, investment costs, water streams, strawberry pie.

3.4 Translate the following words having the same stem. Check your translation with the help of a dictionary:

a) produce, to produce, producer, product, production, productive, productivity.

b) to cultivate, cultivation, cultivator, cultivar.

3.5 Read and translate the text with the help of a dictionary.

S trawberries are a specialized crop and yet it is a crop which has wide adaptation and can be grown in most parts of the country if proper measures are taken. One of the important things in successful strawberry production is the proper selection of varieties. Strawberry cultivars vary remarkably in size, color, flavor, shape, degree of fertility, season of ripening, liability to disease and constitution of plant.

Site and soil preparation Strawberries bloom relatively early and are rather tender to cold. Temperatures no lower than 28 F have been known to kill flowers or fruit. Selection of the hardier or later-blooming varieties may also tend to reduce danger from frost. Strawberries do not like wet roots, preferring a well-drained site with a preferably slightly acid, medium loam. They tolerate shade but thrive in sunshine. To avoid disease b uild-up, grow strawberries in a different plot every three years. Strawberries should be planted in early autumn or in the spring. For purposes of commercial production, plants are propagated from runners and generally distributed as either bare root plants or plugs. Cultivation follows one of two general models, annual plasticulture or a p

A garden using the plasticulture method

erennial system of matted rows or mounds. A small amount of strawberries are also produced in greenhouses during the off seasons.

The bulk of modern commercial production uses the plasticulture system. In this method, raised beds are formed each year, fumigated, and covered with plastic, which prevents weed growth and erosion, under which is run irrigation tubing. Plants, usually obtained from nurseries, are planted through holes punched in this covering. Runners are removed from the plants as they appear, to encourage the plants to put most of their energy into fruit development. At the end of the harvest season, the plastic is removed and the plants are plowed into the ground. Because strawberry plants more than a year or two old begin to decline in productivity and fruit quality, this system of replacing the plants each year allows for improved yields and denser plantings. However, because it requires a longer growing season to allow for establishment of the plants each year, and because of the increased costs in terms of forming and covering the mounds and purchasing plants each year, it is not always practical in all areas.

The other major method, which uses the same plants from year to year growing in rows or on mounds, is most common in colder climates. It has lower investment costs, and lower overall maintenance requirements. Yields are typically lower than in plasticulture.

Fertillizing Most strawberries are now fertilized with artificial fertilizers, both before and after harvesting, and often before planting in plasticulture. It is a common practice to broadcast fertilizer on the field before new plants are set. This should provide sufficient fertility to get the plants off to a good start and maintain their growth during the growing season. One suggestion is to raise the soil potassium and phosphorus to a high level by fertilization and add nitrogen if needed for growth.

The harvesting and cleaning process has not changed substantially over time. The delicate strawberries are still harvested by hand. Grading and packing often occurs in the field, rather than in a processing facility. In large operations, strawberries are cleaned by means of water streams and shaking conveyor belts.

Aftercare. After the final harvest, tuck spare runners into the row to fill in gaps or replace old plants. Remove any unwanted runners. Some gardeners prefer a continuous or matted row in the second and third year rather than spaced plants; the total yield may be higher although the quality of the fruits is not so good. However, it is important, to maintain spacing between rows for ease of cultivation.

Cut back the remaining foliage to about 10cm (4in) above the crown to allow the new leaves to come through. This can be done with secateurs or garden shears.