Effect of Different Bedding material on Fruit Yield and Some Quantitative Parameters of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa cv. European) in Soilless Culture

Subject Areas : Journal of Crop Ecophysiology

M. Tavusi ¹ (Staff Member of Islamic Azad University, Ferdows Branch, East Khorasan Province, Ferdows, Iran)
P. Shahinrokhsar ² (Staff Member of Guilan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Rasht, Iran)

Received: 2009-07-07 Accepted : 2010-08-16 Published : 2010-05-22

Keywords: Perlite, Bedding material, Coco peat, Fragaria ananassa, Soilless culture, Wood chips,

Abstract :

Nowadays widespread researches are being done on bedding material in crop production. Bedding materials, including soilless beds, perlite, coco peat and wood chips may affect crop quality and quantity. Thus, suitable bedding material should be used. Because, cost of these materials is high in strawberry production local substrate with low cost can be used. A greenhouse strawberry cultivar (Fragaria ananassa cv. European) trial was performed at research greenhouse of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in cropping season of 2004-2005. The experimental design was complete randomize block with four replication. The treatments were (1) Perlite (2-5 mm), (2) Coco peat (3) Wood chips and (4) Wood chips and Perlite (1:1 W). In general, plants grown in Coco peat substrate improved vegetative growth parameters like dry and fresh weight (gp-1), chlorophyll index and number of leaves (np-1). While, the effect of perlite on yield (gp-1) and number of fruit (np-1) were not significant as compared with wood chips (p≥0.5), and even wood chips improved total soluble solids (TSS). On the other hand mixed wood chips and perlite, as bedding material did not have promising effect on vegetative and reproductive growth of strawberry.