Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars

Small-scale strawberry production in southeastern states requires cultivars adaptive to local climates and with season extension potentials. This study investigated plant growth, yield, gas exchange, and fruit quality of ten strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivars affected by fertilizer typ...

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Main Authors: Geoffrey T. Lalk, Guihong Bi, Eric T. Stafne, Tongyin Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Maximum Academic Press 2023-01-01
Series:Technology in Horticulture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/TIH-2023-0003
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author Geoffrey T. Lalk
Guihong Bi
Eric T. Stafne
Tongyin Li
author_facet Geoffrey T. Lalk
Guihong Bi
Eric T. Stafne
Tongyin Li
author_sort Geoffrey T. Lalk
collection DOAJ
description Small-scale strawberry production in southeastern states requires cultivars adaptive to local climates and with season extension potentials. This study investigated plant growth, yield, gas exchange, and fruit quality of ten strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivars affected by fertilizer type and irrigation frequency in a containerized production system in 2018. Bare root liners of seven June-bearing and three day-neutral cultivars were grown in 2-gallon containers, fertilized with a conventional fertilizer or an organic fertilizer at comparable rates, and irrigated once or twice daily with the same total irrigation volume. Strawberry cultivars varied in vegetative growth (including plant growth index (PGI), leaf SPAD, number of crowns, visual score, and root dry weight) and fruiting characteristics (including first harvest date, yield, number of fruit, berry size, fruit soluble solids content, and firmness). Day-neutral cultivars 'Evie 2' and ‘Seascape’ produced the highest total yields and late-season yield in June. The conventional fertilizer resulted in higher PGI, leaf SPAD, plant visual score, fruit yield in May, daily water use, and net photosynthetic rate than the organic fertilizer. Two irrigations per day increased substrate moisture compared with one irrigation per day, and increased shoot dry weight with the conventional fertilizer application. Irrigation frequency did not affect PGI, leaf SPAD, gas exchange, fruit yield, or quality in tested strawberry cultivars.
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spelling doaj-art-a6414b6c94f84e6cb571cf934eab7dfb2025-08-20T02:12:19ZengMaximum Academic PressTechnology in Horticulture2833-43372023-01-01311810.48130/TIH-2023-0003TIH-2023-0003Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivarsGeoffrey T. Lalk0Guihong Bi1Eric T. Stafne2Tongyin Li3Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, U.S.Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, U.S.Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Coastal Research and Extension Center, South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station, Poplarville, MS 39470, U.S.Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, U.S.Small-scale strawberry production in southeastern states requires cultivars adaptive to local climates and with season extension potentials. This study investigated plant growth, yield, gas exchange, and fruit quality of ten strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivars affected by fertilizer type and irrigation frequency in a containerized production system in 2018. Bare root liners of seven June-bearing and three day-neutral cultivars were grown in 2-gallon containers, fertilized with a conventional fertilizer or an organic fertilizer at comparable rates, and irrigated once or twice daily with the same total irrigation volume. Strawberry cultivars varied in vegetative growth (including plant growth index (PGI), leaf SPAD, number of crowns, visual score, and root dry weight) and fruiting characteristics (including first harvest date, yield, number of fruit, berry size, fruit soluble solids content, and firmness). Day-neutral cultivars 'Evie 2' and ‘Seascape’ produced the highest total yields and late-season yield in June. The conventional fertilizer resulted in higher PGI, leaf SPAD, plant visual score, fruit yield in May, daily water use, and net photosynthetic rate than the organic fertilizer. Two irrigations per day increased substrate moisture compared with one irrigation per day, and increased shoot dry weight with the conventional fertilizer application. Irrigation frequency did not affect PGI, leaf SPAD, gas exchange, fruit yield, or quality in tested strawberry cultivars.https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/TIH-2023-0003fragaria × ananassajune-bearingday-neutralorganic fertilizerirrigation frequencycontainerized production
spellingShingle Geoffrey T. Lalk
Guihong Bi
Eric T. Stafne
Tongyin Li
Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
Technology in Horticulture
fragaria × ananassa
june-bearing
day-neutral
organic fertilizer
irrigation frequency
containerized production
title Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
title_full Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
title_fullStr Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
title_full_unstemmed Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
title_short Fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth, yield, and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
title_sort fertilizer type and irrigation frequency affect plant growth yield and gas exchange of containerized strawberry cultivars
topic fragaria × ananassa
june-bearing
day-neutral
organic fertilizer
irrigation frequency
containerized production
url https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/TIH-2023-0003
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AT erictstafne fertilizertypeandirrigationfrequencyaffectplantgrowthyieldandgasexchangeofcontainerizedstrawberrycultivars
AT tongyinli fertilizertypeandirrigationfrequencyaffectplantgrowthyieldandgasexchangeofcontainerizedstrawberrycultivars