Effect of Planting Date and Defoliation on Three Strawberry Cultivars

Abstract

Abstract Evidence is presented suggesting that the strawberry cultivars, ‘Fructana’, ‘Bounty’ and ‘Senga Sengana’ react somewhat differently with respect to heat sum. The yield of the cultivar ‘Bounty’ seemed to be reduced when planted later than the 7th of July. The response to planting date was not significant for ‘Senga Sengana’, and the yield had just started to decrease when planted on the 28th of July. ‘Fructana’ had to be planted earlier than the 16th of June to escape from yield reduction. In the first cropping year the number of flowers was generally reduced by delayed planting. The berry size of ‘Bounty’ and ‘Senga Sengana’ increased for the latest planting and 'Fructana's decreased. In the second cropping year the number of flower trusses was reduced for reduced heat sum. Defoliation at the end of harvest of ‘Senga Sengana’ had a tendency to increase the yield. Both ‘Bounty’ and ‘Fructana’ had a reduced yield following defoliation. Defoliation had a significant effect on the number of flowers, but not on berry size or number of crowns and trusses. When undertaken 10 days after the end of harvest the percentage of rotten berries was reduced.