China Greenhouse Strawberry Trial: 24% More Fruit and Higher Brix with Microbial Biofertilizer

Results at a glance

Metric	Untreated control	Sunrise treated
Fruit per plant (3-month total)	202	251 (+24%)
January fruit per plant	79	106 (+34%)
Brix, December	10.72	11.22
Brix, February	9.64	10.71
Canopy and fruit set	Thinner, weaker	Denser, heavier set

The problem

A commercial strawberry grower in China wanted to increase fruit count per plant and improve Brix sugar content over the December 2022 to February 2023 winter production season without changing the existing fertility program. In China's fresh strawberry market, marketable berries per plant and sweetness drive both packout rates and premium pricing at retail. The trial evaluated whether Sunrise Soil Probiotic, an OMRI Listed and CDFA registered multi-strain microbial inoculant of beneficial bacteria and fungi, could lift fruit count, soluble solids content, and overall plant vigor in an elevated tabletop greenhouse system. A treated zone was compared head-to-head against an untreated control across three months of harvest data to isolate Sunrise as the differentiating input.

Before, during, and after

Before
The untreated control zone averaged 34 fruit per plant in December, 79 in January, and 89 in February, totaling 202 fruit per plant across the three-month trial. Production did increase month over month as the crop matured, but the untreated plants showed visibly thinner canopy and less vigorous growth than the treated block. Brix readings declined steadily over the season, starting at 10.72 in December, dropping to 9.86 in January, and falling to 9.64 in February. For a fresh-market operation where sweetness drives buyer preference and premium pricing, that seasonal Brix decline translates directly to lower packout value at the retail end.

After
The Sunrise-treated zone produced 40 fruit per plant in December, 106 in January, and 105 in February, totaling 251 fruit per plant, a 24% increase over the untreated control across the season, with peak-harvest January gains hitting 34% more fruit. Brix readings held above 10.7 the entire trial: 11.22 in December, 10.86 in January, and 10.71 in February, outperforming the control by roughly a full Brix point every month. While untreated sugar content fell from 10.72 to 9.64 over the season, treated plants sustained Brix as nutrient demand increased, evidence that Sunrise helped maintain nutrient efficiency and sugar accumulation deeper into the production cycle. Treated plants also showed denser foliage, stronger canopy development, and heavier fruit set, with more berries reaching full color and market-ready condition.

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Product used in this trial

Sunrise Soil Probiotic

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