Productivity of strawberry as influenced by mulch materials and gibberellin under net house condition

Abstract

Plant growth regulators in combination with mulch materials have been shown to regulate physiological processes related to plant growth and development. The experiment was conducted to investigate the responses of different mulch materials and GA3 on plant morphological, physiological and yield attributes of strawberries during the period from November 2020 to March 2021. The experimental treatments included three different mulch materials: black polythene, white polythene, saw dust, and control (no mulch); and GA3 (0 and 200 ppm) were studied. According to the findings, strawberries grown with sawdust and GA3 had the highest chlorophyll content (SPAD value) (48.23), relative water content (76.45%), leaf area (48.23 cm2), maximum number of fruits (19.66) and fruit yield (321 g/plant). In contrast, individual fruit weight (18g) was the highest for plants grown in sawdust without GA3. Black polythene mulch showed no satisfactory improvement in the growth and yield characteristics of strawberry plants. Therefore, sawdust based mulching and GA3 may be recommended to obtain better strawberry growth and yield.