INVESTIGATING OF THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SHADING TREATMENTS ON GROWTH IN ‘SWEET CHARLIE’ STRAWBERRY VARIETY WITH QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different shading treatments (unshaded plastic greenhouse (GC), continuously shaded (CS), shaded fruiting period (FP) and the open (O) field) on the growth of Sweet Charlie strawberry variety with quantitative analyses. The results indicated that, in general, the root, the crown, the leaf and the total plant dry weights were lower in the open field and shaded plants than in the unshaded plants. The crown dry weight was lower in the plants grown under the continuous shading than in the shaded fruiting period. The leaf area was higher in the shaded plants than in the open field and in the unshaded plants. While root weight ratio (RWR) and crown weight ratio (CWR) were generally increased during the winter season, leaf weight ratio (LWR) was decreased in the same period. The RWR was higher in the open field than in the greenhouse. The highest CWR was generally obtained from the plants grown in the greenhouse control (unshaded). While the LWR was the lowest in the open field treatment than the others it was higher after the 20th May. Generally, the RWR and CWR were decreased in the fruiting period. While the leaf area ratio was high in the continuously shading and shaded in fruiting period, it was low in the open field. Generally, the specific leaf area was higher in the shading treatments and it was low in the open field. The leaf thickness was the highest in the open field and it was the lowest in the shading treatments. Net assimilation rate (NAR) was determined higher in open field and it was low in the continuously shading. Relative growth rate (RGR) was high in earlier growing period and it was low in the fruiting period. Significant positive and negative correlations were determined among the plant growth parameters. The results obtained with shading of this study may be useful in studies to determine the relationship between growth and productivity and environmental factors in junebearing strawberry cultivars.