The Influence of Root Zone Temperature Manipulation on Strawberry Yields in the Tropics

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the quality of strawberry (Fragaria x Ananassa) cultivated in tropical areas. There are two treatments set up in this study. The root zone temperature (RZT) in Treatment 1 was controlled around 25 °C (±2 °C), while Treatment 2 was left to experience fluctuating RZT varying between 27 and 30 °C. Both treatments were left to experience fluctuating ambient temperature, varying from 21 to 34 °C. Samples of fruit from tropical highland areas were obtained and used as a Control Treatment in assessing the quality of strawberry produced. Though the Control Treatment obtained better results in terms of fruit size, lowering the RZT in Treatment 1 significantly increased the fruit’s diameter and weight up to 8.85 and 21.60%, respectively, compared to Treatment 2. About 70.00% of the strawberries produced in Treatment 1 were of marketable size (>5 g) compared to 46.67% of the strawberries produced in Treatment 2. Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 produced strawberries that were significantly sweeter compared to those produced in Control Treatment. More than 70.00% of the strawberries produced in both treatments were above the average sweetness of the Festival variety (Brix index: >8°Brix), compared to approximately 50.00% of the strawberries produced in the Control Treatment. In conclusion, lowering the RZT was found to produce better fruit yield for strawberry cultivation in the tropics, thus may provide an alternative solution that can comply with the growing strawberry demand.