Effect of container size and growing media on growth, yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)
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Date
2021-12
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Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Effect of container size and growing media on growth, yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)” was carried out at Research Farm, Division of Fruit Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main campus, Chatha during the year 2020-21. The aim of this investigation is to study the relationship between plant development, size and type of container and growing media. In this trial seven different growing media viz. cocopeat, perlite and vermicompost in ratio of 1:1:1, 2:1:1, 3:1:1, 4:0:1, 4:1:0 and 4:1:1 were mixed in six types of container of different dimensions of length, breadth and height (24 cm × 24 cm × 14 cm, 25 cm × 21 cm× 12 cm, 20 cm ×20 cm ×10 cm, 37 cm × 23 cm × 9 cm, 35 cm × 18 cm × 14 cm and 23 cm × 23 cm × 10 cm). The experiment was laid out according to randomized block design (factorial) with 42 treatment combination replicated thrice. The growth, flowering, fruiting and biochemical parameters of strawberry plant such as plant height, plant spread, shoot length, crown diameter, number of runners per plant, runners length, fresh and dry weight of shoot, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, petiole length, fresh and dry weight of leaves, leaf chlorophyll content, fresh and dry weight of root and average primary and secondary length of roots, days taken to first flower, duration of flowering, number of flowers per plant, number of berries per plant, berry weight, berry breadth, berry length, total yield per plant, pH of berry, TSS, TSS: Acid ratio, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and ascorbic acid were measured in this experiment. The results of the present investigation revealed that both container size and growing media had significant interaction effect (P < 0.05). The treatment C2T3 showed significantly higher growth, flowering and fruiting parameter. It was followed by C5T3 and lowest was found in treatment C4T7 i.e. control. Also, the cost and return from containerised strawberry was higher in C1T3 with benefit cost ratio of 1:1.70. On the basis of this study, it can be concluded that soilless cultivation of strawberry can be undertaken as commercial cultivation by utilizing container C2 (PVC pot) filled with cocopeat, perlite, and vermicompost media in ratio 3:1:1 i.e. T3 as they performed better in respect of growth, yield and quality of strawberry cv. Chandler.
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Preferred for your work. Sharma, R.2021.