Coastal California • Central Coast • Watsonville • Salinas • Santa Maria • Oxnard

California berry crops are moving through aggressive vegetative growth, bloom, fruit set, and early production stages where nutrient demand, plant energy, and root activity are critical for maintaining yield quality and consistent production.

Across berry regions, growers continue balancing:

• Heavy fruit load
• Continuous flowering
• Salt management
• Root pressure
• Heat fluctuations
• Disease and insect pressure

The key focus remains maximizing nutrient efficiency, supporting strong carbohydrate movement, improving fruit quality, and maintaining healthy active root systems throughout the production cycle.

Key Nutritional Priorities

1. Maintain Plant Energy & Continuous Production

Berry crops are constantly demanding energy for:

• Flowering
• Fruit set
• Fruit fill
• Root growth
• Canopy turnover
• Carbohydrate production

Axiom Ion Recommendations:

Basilic Thunder (6-19-4)
Ortho-phosphate phosphorus supporting:

• ATP production
• Plant metabolism
• Root development
• Flower initiation
• Fruit sizing and energy transfer

Axiom Ion Magnesium
Critical for:

• Chlorophyll production
• Photosynthesis
• Sugar production
• Plant energy movement
• Maintaining healthy canopy activity

Atlas
49 Independent Fermented Strains supporting:

• Soil biology
• Nutrient cycling
• Root stimulation
• Nitrogen efficiency
• Increased uptake during stress periods

2. Support Fruit Quality, Firmness & Shelf Life

As harvest pressure increases, calcium and potassium become critical for:

• Fruit firmness
• Shelf life
• Fruit size
• Sugar movement
• Skin integrity
• Reduced fruit breakdown

Axiom Ion Calcium
Our lactate-bound calcium helps:

• Strengthen cell walls
• Improve fruit firmness
• Reduce tip burn and soft frui
• Enhance root strength
• Improve plant structure and stress tolerance

Especially important during:

• Heavy fruit load
• Heat events
• Rapid fruit fill
• Continuous harvest cycles

Kalibrate
Supports:

• Sugar transport
• Fruit sizing
• Water regulation
• Plant stress management
• Consistent fruit development

3. Maintain Root Health & Soil Performance

Berry crops continue facing challenges with:

• Salinity buildup
• Tight soils
• Root stress
• High bicarbonates
• Water movement issues
• Reduced oxygen in root zones

Axiom Soil Backbone:

• Atlas
• Axiom Ion Calcium
• Basilic Thunder

Designed to improve:

• Soil structure
• Water infiltration
• Root expansion
• Nutrient availability
• CEC
• Irrigation efficiency

Healthy roots remain the foundation for maintaining continuous berry production and fruit quality.

4. Micronutrient Demand Increasing

Berry crops require strong micronutrient support during:

• Flowering
• Fruit set
• Fruit fill
• Continuous production cycles

Key Nutrients:

• Zinc
• Boron
• Iron
• Manganese

Critical for:

• Hormone activity
• Pollination support
• Sugar metabolism
• Chlorophyll development
• Enzyme activation
• Stress tolerance

Axiom Ion Micronutrients

Our lactate-bound micronutrients are designed for:

• Improved foliar uptake
• Less tie-up in difficult soils
• Faster plant availability
• Improved nutrient mobility

Pest & Disease Pressure Update

Current Pressure Areas:

• Mites
• Aphids
• Thrips
• Botrytis
• Powdery mildew
• Root disease pressure
• Lygus pressure in strawberries

Warm conditions, dense canopies, and continuous production cycles continue increasing disease and insect pressure across berry operations.

Stress and nutrient imbalance can increase susceptibility to:

• Soft fruit
• Weak shelf life
• Fruit abortion
• Poor color and finish quality
• Increased disease pressure

Plant Health & Defense Strategy

Finale

Supports:

• Plant defense response
• Reduced environmental stress
• Improved canopy health
• Cleaner plant performance during pressure periods

Axiom Ion Calcium

Helps strengthen:

• Fruit tissue
• Leaf structure
• Root systems
• Overall plant integrity

Axiom Ion Zinc

Supports:

• Hormone regulation
• Stress management
• Carbohydrate metabolism
• Flower and fruit development

Balanced nutrition continues being one of the strongest tools for maintaining berry quality and reducing stress-related pest and disease pressure.

Crop-Specific Focus

Strawberries

Key Focus:

• Continuous flowering
• Fruit firmness
• Root pressure
• Shelf life
• Salinity management

Backbone Program:

• Basilic Thunder
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Atlas
• Kalibrate

Blueberries

Key Focus:

• Root activity
• Sugar movement
• Fruit sizing
• Canopy metabolism
• Soil biology

Backbone Program:

• Atlas
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Kalibrate

Raspberries

Key Focus:

• Cane strength
• Fruit quality
• Flower retention
• Water movement
• Heat management

Backbone Program:

• Basilic Thunder
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Atlas
• Micronutrient package

Blackberries

Key Focus:

• Fruit firmness
• Sugar accumulation
• Root health
• Canopy balance
• Stress management

Backbone Program:

• Kalibrate
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Atlas
• Magnesium

Overall California Berry Crop Strategy

The strongest berry operations this season will focus on:

• Maintaining plant energy
• Maximizing nutrient efficiency
• Supporting healthy root systems
• Improving fruit firmness and shelf life
• Managing salinity and heat stress
• Maintaining consistent production cycles

Axiom Ag continues helping berry growers across California improve:

• Fruit quality
• Shelf life
• Brix
• Firmness
• Yield consistency
• Soil structure
• Water efficiency
• Overall plant performance

through our lactate-bound Axiom Ion nutrition platform for both conventional and organic berry production systems.