Strawberry cultivation

production technology of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa)

1. FSC – 621 SUBTROPICAL AND TEMPERATE FRUIT PRODUCTION (2+1) PRODUCTION TECNOLOGY OF STRAWBERRY ( Fragaria ananassa )

2. Common name : Strawberry Scientific name : F ragaria ananassa F amily : Rosaceae Chromosome no : 2n=8x=56 (X=7) Origin : France T ype of inflorescence : Dichotomic raceme Type of fruit : both self and cross

3. INTRODUCTION Monoecious, short day and quick growing plant. Fruit crop for kitchen garden (straw) berry = farmers makes mulching over the plants of strawberries by using straw 98% of edible portion. Strawberry are richest source of vitamin C, ascorbic acid and ellagic acid.

4. Edible portion is succulent thalamus. Spring frost is major limiting factor. 1 st fruit crop micro propagation studied. It is a heavy feeder crop . Artificial man-made hybrid: ( garden strawberry= F.chilonensis X F.virginiana )

5. Climate Plants are strongly affected by the environmental parameters like temperature, photoperiod and light intensity. In cold climate, frost and winter injury seriously affect the yield of strawberry. Photoperiod has a marked effect on vegetative growth, plant morphology and yield.

6. Soil Soil contains rich in humus because of 70 – 80% of its roots found in 15cm of top soil. It should not be grown continuously on the same land and on the land previously devoted to potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper and raspberry. It grows well on soil with pH 5.0 – 7.5. Soil with pH 4.5 – 5.5 needs liming.

7. Varieties Premier, Red Coat, Local Jeolikot , Dilpasand , Bangalore, Florida-90, Katrain Sweet, Blackmore, Pusa Early Dwarf, Phenomenal, Majestic, Sujatha , Labella. Pajero : Most successful under summer system and tolerant to viruses. Chandler : Resistant to viruses, resistant to physical damages caused by rain and suitable for fresh market and processing.

8. Contd... Cardinal X Ark-5431 :- Arking Tioga :- Suitable for meridional conditions. Senga sengan , Redgaunlet and Gorella :- suitable for septentrional culture. Selva , Fern, Muir, Hecker , Tristar and Trileute :- day neutral variety Selva :- day neutral and Offseason variety. Midway, Midland, Hood, Redchief and Beauty :- ideal variety for processing.

9. Olympus, Hood and Shuksan (High flavour and bright red colour) :- suitable varieties for ice cream making. All the cultivated varieties of strawberries are allo - octoploid . Early bearer cultivars are day neutral types.

10. Tioga chandler

11. Belrubi Selva Torrey

12. pajaro Fern

13. Propagation Strawberry is propagated through runners (natural vegetative propagation). Stolon is produced in the leaf axils and grows out from the parent plant during summer. At second node of stolon a runner plants is formed and new stolon arises on the runner plants. Initially runner plants produce fewer roots but thereafter put forth excessive fibrous roots.

14. Contd... Then runners are separated from the mother plant and can be planted elsewhere. A separate bed should be used for runner production. Planting distance – 1.2 X 1.2 m or 1.8 X 1.8 m . 30 – 40 runners/plant are satisfactory rate of production. It can be enhanced by GA3 (50 – 100 ppm) ) spray.

15. Contd... For greater survival and fast growth, the runners should be lifted in September and planted in poly bags using the potting media of soil, sand and FYM @ 1:1:2 for one month.

16. Planting Healthy runners with a medium to large crown and well developed root system are preferred. Plants are planted in hill row system either in single or double rows on 15 – 20 cm raised beds with plant to plant and row to row distance of 30 X 30 – 45cm and 90 – 120cm is kept between twin rows. Outer leaves should be striped off and soils of the roots of the runner should be washed.

17. Contd... Strawberry are rather exacting about the depth at which they must be planted. If the crown is set too shallow it will dry out, and if set too deep it may be smothered. Planting during mid September to mid October is best time in open conditions which does not require much special care for establishment.

18. Contd.... Where space is at a premium, strawberries will also grow well for a year or two year in bags, troughs, pots and hanging baskets. This approach has several advantages over plants grown in the open. For pot culture of strawberry, soilless composts or those with low loam content, usually porous media is recommended.

19. Contd... Soil : Sand: FYM in the ratio of 1: 1: 2 is considered as best potting media. Freshly dug runners are planted from August to mid- October to allow proper establishment and a good crop in first summer but for getting fruits other than normal season planting time can be manipulated accordingly because one can shift the bags/container in shade net or poly house whenever needed.

20. Mulching Mulching in strawberry minimizes the freezing injury, suppresses weed growth and importantly reduces the chances of softening of fruits. Commonly used mulching materials :- clean straw, black and double coloured polythene . Mulching with black or double colour polythene material gives good weed control, advances early cropping and increases total yield.

21. Planting system Matted Row : Most common system of plantation followed in India. Runners are planted with spacing of 90 x 45 cm. runners after the initial growth are allowed to cover the vacant space around the mother plant. This gives it a matted appearance. Prevent overcrowding in this method. Heavy soil is suitable.

22. Contd... Hill system : This method of cultivation is followed when only a few runners must be developed. The runners must the mother plants are removed. Hence, the individual plants that grow are large in size and bear more fruits than those in matted rows. The inter-planting distance must be 25-30 cm. The distance between the twin rows must be 100 cm. A twin row system is followed here.

23. Contd.... Spaced Row In case of cultivars producing average to weak runners, the daughter runners are kept at certain distance. Only some tips of runners are chosen which can develop into plants. Such tips are covered with soil. The practice is followed till each mother plant has the desired number of daughter plants.

24. Matted Row planting system Hill planting system

25. Irrigation Frequent irrigation rather than a few heavy ones favour the crop. Excess irrigation is detrimental in encouraging the growth of leaves and stolon at the expense of fruit and flower and increases the incidence of botrytis rot and makes the fruit soft. To minimize the water requirement , sprinkler and trickle or drip irrigation may be resorted.

26. Nutrient management Organic manures applied in sufficient quantity (70 – 80 t/ha) may fulfill the nutrient requirement, if planted for annual cropping. The pre – planting application of 20 tonnes of FYM and 20-40-40 NPK kg/ha and annual application of 40kg P/ha and 80kg K/ha is recommended to ensure a good crop of strawberry.

27. Contd... Foliar application of urea (2%), Zinc sulphate (0.5%), Calcium sulphate (0.5%) and Boric acid (0.2%) is beneficial for quality and higher yield.

28. Pollination and Fruit set Most of the cultivars produce hermaphrodite flowers and are self fertile . Some also produce male or staminate , imperfect and pistilate flower, which requires cross pollination. Honeybees are the chief insect pollinators. Four strong honeybees colonies should be placed in field/ha for effective pollination.

29. A typical inflorescence bears primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary flowers. Majority of fruits develops from tertiary flowers rather than from primary and secondary flowers.

30. Harvesting Berries are harvested when 50 to 75% skin of the berry develops colours. For long distance market, berries are harvested immediately after reaching full colour. Fruits are picked along with the caps or calyx and the stalk, one to two inches from the calyx. During, peak period fruits should be picked daily or in alternate day. Yield – 200 – 500g/ plant.

31. Packaging Storage of fresh strawberry, even for short periods is not recommended because of their high perishability . Due to its climacteric nature, it ripens very fast and get spoiled easily. The strawberries are packed in plastic punnets and are placed in the corrugated fibre trays or ventilated cardboard boxes .

32. Thank you....