Enhancing root systems of waiting-bed strawberry plants grown on substrates

Abstract

SummaryTo find techniques to improve root system development of waiting-bed strawberry plants ‘Camarosa’ grown in substrates, the influence of two substrates (peat and coconut coir dust), or plants from three waiting-beds at different altitudes, and of root treatments with different plant growth regulators (naphthalenacetic acid at 25, 50 and 75 mg g–1; indolebutyric acid at 10, 20 and 30 mg g–1; l-triacontanol at 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06 mg g–1) by dipping runners prior to planting, were studied in two experiments in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons. In both years, plants from high elevation beds (HE) produced the greatest root development, and plants from medium elevation beds (ME) produced more new roots than those from low elevation beds (LE). Root development of plants grown in peat was greater than those grown in coconut coir dust in the first experiment and only on the first measuring dates (one month after planting). This difference was particularly high in plants from high or medium elevation nurseries, when the degree of root development was greater. No differences between substrates were observed in the second experiment. Treatments with the different growth regulators tested, at any of the concentrations used, did not improve root development on average for the other factors.