Plastic soil covers in vegetative development, production and quality of strawberries

Anderson Santin,Jonathan Santin,Eder Júnior Mezzalira,Dalva Paulus,André Luiz Piva,Fabíola Villa,Giovana Ritter

doi:10.1590/0034-737x202067040004

Anderson Santin, Jonathan Santin + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-737x202067040004

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose this study was to evaluate the vegetative development, yield and quality of strawberry cultivars of short and neutral days as a function of soil cover. Two experiments were carried out in a protected environment. The experimental design used in both experiments consisted of randomized blocks, with subdivided plots. Harvests were carried out every two days, when the berries presented 75% of the red coloration of the epidermis, with evaluation of yield, number of fruits/plant, and fresh biomass of the fruits. For fruit quality, the pH, SS, titratable acidity, SS/TA ratio and fruit staining were evaluated. The contents of chlorophyll a and b, chlorophyll a + b and the chlorophyll a/b ratio in the leaves were also measured. At the end of the productive cycle, destructive evaluations of leaf number, leaf area and dry biomass of shoot were carried out. Cultivation on white plastic soil coverage presented plants with lower vegetative development, higher yield, and fruit size. Among the cultivars of short days, Camino Real presented bigger and more attractive fruits regarding the appearance of color of epidermis. For neutral day cultivars, Aromas obtained higher yield.

Highlights

Strawberry cultivation in the Paraná State, Brazil, is mainly performed by small landowners and leaseholders, and the demand for labor is high, at 15 people/ha/year, being a source of income and an alternative for the maintenance of people in the farm
The crop gains importance in other regions of Paraná State. These producers often encounter difficulties, mainly due to the lack of information on the crop, management and choice of cultivars adapted to the conditions of the growing regions
The adaptability of the cultivar to a given region is expressed by the genotype-environment interaction, the latter being characterized mainly by temperature, photoperiod and soil, which determine fruit quality and productivity

Summary

Introduction

Strawberry cultivation in the Paraná State, Brazil, is mainly performed by small landowners and leaseholders, and the demand for labor is high, at 15 people/ha/year, being a source of income and an alternative for the maintenance of people in the farm. The crop gains importance in other regions of Paraná State. These producers often encounter difficulties, mainly due to the lack of information on the crop, management and choice of cultivars adapted to the conditions of the growing regions. This implies that producers fail to reach the production prospects, leading to economic losses and abandonment of the crops (Santin et al, 2017; Dalla Rosa et al, 2014). The use of cultivars adapted to each region is a major factor for success in production (Oliveira e Scivittaro, 2011). Based on the plant response to these factors, the species are classified between short-day and day-neutral cultivars

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