Strawberry Yield Research Articles

EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION AND SOIL MULCHING IN DIFFERENT GROWING ENVIRONMENTS ON STRAWBERRY YIELD AND QUALITY

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of irrigation and soil mulches on the growth, yield and quality of strawberries in different cultivation environments. There were eight treatments in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications used in this experiment. Plants grown under white polyethylene grew taller and more spread out than those in the open field environment. The experimental soil was sandy loam and the field capacity was 29.6%. Relating growing environments, a significant difference was seen in strawberry yield under covered field shaded with white polyethylene and drip irrigation (410.50 g) than those in the open field with manual spray irrigation (337.26 g). The highest gross yield (10.00 t/ha) was observed in covered field (Fc) with alternate day drip irrigation. The total sugar and reducing sugar contents of the strawberries produced in the open field were 3.33% and 0.81%, respectively, for black polyethylene mulches with 2-days irrigation intervals, for the covered field they were 2.40% and 0.60%, respectively used in drip irrigation. The plants growing under covered field with drip irrigation has enhanced total anthocyanin but recorded the lowest vitamin C. The plants in the straw mulch plots used more water compared to those in the polyethylene mulch. The highest water use efficiencies were found using polyethylene mulch for both in the covered and open field environments with an irrigation intervals of 2-day.

Alleviating adverse effects of irrigation by saline water on growth, productivity and fruit quality of strawberry by using some salinity reducers

This experiment was carried out during two successive seasons of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasein, Hort. Res. Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of irrigation water sources (ground water, EC= 1254 ppm) and (Nile River water, EC =282 ppm) and treating plants with some salinity reducers (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, Salt Free as salinity reducer with water irrigation at 2 liter /fad. each and trehalose as foliar application at 2 ml /l) on growth, some plant water relationships, yield and fruit quality of strawberry under sandy soil conditions. Under the irrigation with ground water conditions, treating strawberry plants with some salinity reducers (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, Salt Free with water irrigation and trehalose as foliar application) increased plant growth, yield and fruit quality compared to control (without salinity reducers) and gave similar results with the plants which irrigated with Nile River water only. In this concern, foliar spray with trehalose at 2 ml/l gave the highest values of dry weight of shoots, total water, free water, total chlorophyll in leaf tissues, salt tolerance index, average fruit weight, yield / plant and total yield/fad., fruit firmness, total soluble solids and vitamin C contents in fruits.

Mulching and spacing affects growth, yield and fruit quality of strawberry (Fragaria x Ananassa duch.) under terai zone of West Bengal

Mulching and spacing affects growth, yield and fruit quality of strawberry (Fragaria x Ananassa duch.) under terai zone of West Bengal

Impact of PSB and Vermicompost on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry

Impact of PSB and Vermicompost on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry

Biostimulatory effect of seaweed extract on the fruiting and runner production of Strawberry

The strawberry plant is an herbaceous perennial and having a shallow root system needs effective nutrient management. The conventional farming system involves the enormous use of chemicals which leads to the degradation of plant and soil health. On the contrary, organic fruit production is more beneficial for plant health and organic fruit production has gained momentum due to increasing the cost of fertilizers and growing ecological concerns. Seaweed extracts are considered an organic farm input as they are environment-friendly and safe for human health. Keeping in view the bio-stimulatory potential of seaweed extracts, a study was conducted to elucidate their effect on the blooming, yield, quality, and runners' production of strawberries under polyhouse conditions during the year 2018-19. The seaweed extract (SWE) was used at variable concentrations viz, 0.75 ml L-1, 1.0 ml L-1, and 1.25 ml L-1 which were applied at the pre-flowering stage (PFS) or Fruit set stages (FSS) or both the stages (PSS and FSS). The study revealed that the foliar spray of seaweed extract at pre-flowering and fruit set enhanced the blooming characteristics and runner production. Furthermore, the plant treated with 1.0-1.25 ml L-1 seaweed extract at the pre-flowering and fruit set stage exhibited the highest cumulative yield and better fruit quality characteristics.

Assessing nitrogen uptake and the impact of fertilizer amounts and sources on strawberry production in California

A study was conducted in Oxnard, CA, from 2014 to 2015 to assess seasonal nitrogen (N) uptake, and 2018–2019 to assess the effect of fertilizer rates and types (calcium nitrate [CN9] and ammonium nitrate [AN20]) on yield of two strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivars (Fronteras and a proprietary cultivar). The 2014–2015 study identified mainly two seasonal uptake rates: 0.59 and 1.30 kg ha–1 d–1 for early (October–February) and late season (March–June), respectively. The N fertilizer rates for the 2018–2019 study, derived from the 2014–2015 study, were defined as low (CN9-L and AN20-L; 132 kg ha–1 total applied), optimum (CN9-O and AN20-O; 233 kg ha–1 total applied), and high (CN9-H and AN20-H; 334 kg ha–1 total applied). Marketable yield for Fronteras plateaued at the optimum fertilizer rate, suggesting the average rate determined from the 2014–2015 study (equivalent to the optimum rate in the 2018–2019 study) achieved the highest yield for that cultivar. Marketable yield of the AN20 treatments for the proprietary cultivar was significantly greater than the CN9 treatments. Increasing N fertilizer rates resulted in greater aboveground vegetative biomass and consequent increased yield for both cultivars. The AN20 treatments resulted in 193–264% less nitrate found in the 30.5-to-61.0-cm depth of soil than the CN9 treatments at crop termination, indicating significantly less nitrate-leaching potential for fertilizers with greater proportion of N as ammonium. Assessing N uptake and tailoring fertilizer amounts and sources accordingly can maximize strawberry yield and minimize nitrate leaching.

Strawberry– More than a Popular Summer Fruit: A Mini-Review

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are well known for their attractive red fruits, characteristic aroma and distinct taste. They are grown and eaten all over the world and they are considered a popular summer fruit. Apart from the abovementioned valued characteristics, strawberry fruits are a significant source of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, phytochemicals, polyphenols, and antioxidants. In recent years, the increase in production and consumption of strawberries around the world can be noticed. Additionally, strawberries are now considered a ‘functional food’ due to the associated taste, nutritional composition, phytochemicals and multiple health benefits. The review provides a brief overview of strawberries not only as popular summer fruits, but also as health-promoting beneficial fruits. The nutritious, dietary and phytochemical properties as well as biological benefits of strawberries on human health are highlighted. The synergetic role of strawberry as a functional food and some of the key pre-harvest and post-harvest factors which influence strawberry yield and overall fruit quality are discussed. Apart from the numerous benefits associated with strawberries, some allergies are also linked with their consumption which is also mentioned in the article.

Physiological and proteomic analyses reveal the effect of CeO2 nanoparticles on strawberry reproductive system and fruit quality

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, the environmental impact assessment of nanoparticles (NPs) becomes a pressing problem to ensure the environmental safety and human health. However, the roles of CeO2 NPs on the development of crop reproductive system and fruit quality are largely unknown. Herein, strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) plants were exposed to CeO2 NPs at 0–115 mg/L. The reduced generation of stolon, increased pollen numbers and germination rate of pollen grains, as well as the elongation of pollen tubes contributed to the enhanced yield of strawberry upon CeO2 NP exposure (6–115 mg/L). Furthermore, the fruit quality was improved by increasing total phenols, vitamin C, amino acids, and protein contents. More importantly, even at 115 mg/L treatment, fruit Ce contents (4.4 mg/kg) did not exceed the Ce mean oral reference dose of humans. Finally, label-free proteomic results disclosed that differentially expressed proteins related to malate were down-regulated, and the differential regulation of sugar-associated proteins suggested the changes in sugar composition. The significantly different expression of ascorbate and glutathione related proteins exhibited the increased antioxidant capacity of fruits. The findings in the present study provide new perspectives for understanding the potential risk posed by NPs in the environment.

Can hemp hurd or paper mulch and biochar application improve weed management in matted-row strawberry production systems?

AbstractDuring 2015 and 2016, studies were conducted at Absaraka and Dickinson, North Dakota to evaluate the impacts of hemp (applied at 1156 m3 ha−1) and commercial paper mulch, as well as soil-applied biochar (applied at 11.25 m3 ha−1), on weed suppression and strawberry growth during the establishment year, and on weed suppression and strawberry yield during the production year, in a matted row production (MRP) system. During 2015, biochar influenced dry weed biomass only within the hemp mulch, with slightly more weed biomass associated with biochar application compared to zero biochar (3.1 vs 0.4 g m−2), suggesting that biochar may have increased weed germination and/or emergence from beneath hemp mulch. Biochar application also slightly increased soil pH, from 6.9 in non-amended soil to 7.0 in amended soil. Strawberry runner number during 2015 was greater in association with hemp or paper mulch compared to zero mulch (4.5 and 4.9 vs 2.4 runners plant −1, respectively). This result mirrored a similar differential in per berry mass across sites (7.6 and 7.4 vs 6.2 g berry −1 for hemp mulch, paper mulch and zero mulch, respectively). These results may be related to hemp and paper mulch reducing maximum soil temperatures during summer 2015. During the establishment year, both hemp and paper mulch suppressed weeds well compared to zero mulch, although at Absaraka hemp mulch provided slightly better weed suppression than paper mulch. During the production year, both mulches continued to suppress weeds compared to zero mulch at Dickinson. However, at Absaraka, only hemp mulch provided weed suppression compared to zero mulch, possibly because of faster paper degradation caused by greater numbers of large precipitation events and greater relative humidity at Absaraka compared to Dickinson. Weeds were removed from plots during 2015 to allow separation of weed suppression from other possible mulch impacts; therefore, yield data do not reveal striking differences among mulch treatments. Because previous research has demonstrated the impact of weed management during the establishment of strawberries in a matted row system, we concluded that hemp mulch may provide more durable weed suppression compared to paper mulch, which would increase strawberry yield protection in an MRP system. Material cost may be an issue for implementing hemp mulch, as hemp hurd cost was 25 times paper mulch at the application rates used in this study. However, hemp mulch could still be a beneficial option, especially for organic strawberry growers desiring a renewable and environmentally sound replacement for plastic mulch who are able to find affordable local sources of this material.

Organic fertilizer activates soil beneficial microorganisms to promote strawberry growth and soil health after fumigation

Soil fumigants aim to control soil-borne diseases below levels that affect economic crop production, but their use also reduces the abundance of beneficial microorganisms. Previous studies have shown that adding various types of fertilizers to soil after fumigation can reshape the soil microbial community and regulate crop growth. We fumigated soil with dazomet (DZ) that had been cropped continuously for more than 20 years. After fumigation we applied silicon fertilizer, potassium humate organic fertilizer, Bacillus microbial fertilizer or a mixture of the last two. We studied the effects of different fertilizers treatments on the soil's physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, key soil pathogens and beneficial microbes. We found that fertilizers applied after fumigation promoted soil beneficial microorganisms (such as Fimicutes, Chloroflexi, Bacillus and Actinomadura) restoration; increased Fusarium and Phytophthora pathogen mortality, the content of ammonium nitrogen, sucrase enzyme activity; and increased strawberry fruit yield. A significant increase in strawberry yield was positively correlated with increases in beneficial microorganisms such as Gemmatimonadota, Firmicutes, Bacillus and Flavisolibacter. We concluded that organic fertilizer applied after fumigation significantly increased the number of beneficial microorganisms, improved the physicochemical properties of the soil, increased soil enzyme activities, inhibited the growth of soil pathogens to increase strawberry fruit yield. In summary, organic fertilizer activated soil beneficial microorganisms after soil fumigation, promoted soil health, and increased strawberry fruit yield.

Influence of boron and zinc on yield, nutrient uptake and quality of strawberry

Strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duch.) is responsive to boron (B) and zinc (Zn) fertilizer application. Hence, an experiment was conducted in winter season of 2017-18 and 2018-19 to evaluate the effect of boron and zinc application on yield traits, yields, nutrient uptake and quality of strawberry. The experiment was planned with 16 treatment combinations involving four levels each of boron (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg ha−1) and zinc (0, 2, 3 and 4 kg ha−1) following factorial (4 × 4) randomized complete block design with three replications. As per results, application of B 2 kg ha−1 and Zn 3 kg ha−1 produced highest number of fruits (18.5) and most fruit yield (14.1 t ha−1) with higher total soluble solids (7.50°Brix) and vitamin C (72.0 mg/100 g) and greatest B uptake (0.205 kg ha−1) and Zn uptake (0.192 kg ha−1).The interaction effect of boron and zinc was dominant. The result suggests that combined application of B 2 kg ha−1 and Zn 3 kg ha−1 can increase the quantity and quality of strawberry fruit. The present findings may have potential for the area where imbalance uses of boron and zinc fertilizer in strawberry cultivation.

Effect of Greenhouse Cladding Materials and Thermal Screen Configuration on Heating Energy and Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa var. “Seolhyang”) Yield in Winter

Strawberry cultivation depends on environmental factors, making its cultivation in the greenhouse a challenge in the winter. This study investigated the most appropriate greenhouse cladding material and thermal screen configuration for strawberry production in the winter by considering greenhouse air temperature, relative humidity (RH, vapor pressure deficit (VPD, and solar radiation (SR). Two gothic greenhouses with different cladding materials and thermal screen configurations, namely, the single-layer greenhouse and double-layer greenhouse, were used for strawberry cultivation. The greenhouse microclimate was controlled by natural ventilation aided with circulating fans and boilers. Strawberries were planted on 5 greenhouse benches, 660 stands per greenhouse. Daily environmental parameters were recorded and processed into daytime and nighttime. The impacts of cladding material-thermal screen configurations on temperature, RH, VPD, and SR, and the subsequent effect on strawberry yield in both greenhouse systems, were evaluated. Comparing the environmental parameters recorded in the single-layer and double-layer greenhouse showed that VPD and SR were significantly different in the daytime, whereas RH and VPD were significantly different in the nighttime. The post hoc test further showed that RH, VPD, and SR in both greenhouses were significantly different. The significant difference in RH and VPD can be attributed to the inner layer of polyethene in the double-layer greenhouse, which sealed up the pores of the thermal screen, resulting in humidity buildup, causing a lower VPD than in the single-layer greenhouse. The single-layer greenhouse yield was 14% greater than the double-layer greenhouse yield and can be attributed to the higher daytime VPD and lower RH achieved in the single-layer greenhouse at night. The study established that though the single-layer greenhouse system was cost-effective regarding construction, the operating cost of the single-layer greenhouse was higher than that of the double-layer greenhouse.

Detection of Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV) and Identification of Viruliferous Insects Associated with Strawberry Plants (Fragaria sp.) in Bali

Plant pests and diseases cause decreases in strawberry yield in Bali, including plant viruses. Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV) is a virus that infects strawberry plants and is transmitted by insects. However, studies about this disease in Bali are still limited. This study aimed to detect SVBV within insect bodies and determine the insect species of its vector. Methods used included (1) sampling; (2) detection of SVBV from insect bodies using primers (SVBV F/SVBV R) and PCR; and (3) molecular identification of viruliferous insect with primers (LCO 1490 F/HCO 2198 R) using PCR and sequencing analysis. This study successfully detected SVBV DNA in an insect from three insect families associated with strawberry plants in Pancasari Village, Buleleng Regency, Bali. Results from the nucleotide sequences analysis in SVBV viruliferous insects indicate that the insect was Myzus persicae.

Plant-Derived Carbon Sources for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Southern California

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has been optimized and adopted as an organic alternative to chemical fumigation by strawberry growers in California. The ASD process relies on mixing labile carbon sources into the soil to generate chemical, physical, and microbiological changes aiding suppression of the soil-borne pathogens and enhancing fruit production. Continued ASD adoption is hindered by the increasing cost of rice bran, currently the most widely used carbon source. To address this need and to find suitable and economical alternative carbon sources, we conducted field evaluations of locally produced or sourced plant-based products. ASD with incorporated grass-sod clippings spent grain and coffee grounds from one supplier provided a 47% to 83% increase in fruit yields compared to untreated soil, but coffee grounds from a different supplier decreased strawberry yields. Carbon, nitrogen, and their ratios had important impacts on the efficacy of ASD with coffee grounds and grape pomace. ASD with wheat midds at 20 t/ha provided strawberry yields similar to chloropicrin-fumigated soil while substituting 30% of rice bran carbon rate with on-site grown cereal cover crop biomass resulted in yields similar to the full rate of rice bran but at a reduced cost. As we continue exploring cost-effective methods of soil disinfestation, we utilize ASD integrated with other pest management tools, such as the use of resistant cultivars and crop rotation for sustainable production.

Irrigation Levels and Abscisic Acid Effects on the Yield and Fruit Quality of Strawberry

In this study, the effects of four irrigation regimes (IR125, IR100, IR75 and IR50) and Absisic Acid (ABA) application on the cv. Rubygem strawberries, considering yield, and some fruit quality characteristics (Soluble solid content, fruit firmness, pH and color properties) were investigated under Spanish type high tunnels in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. From March to May, 20 mol L-1 of Abscisic Acid was administered three times via foliar application. The treatments IR125, IR100, IR75, and IR50 received 712, 575, 438, and 301 mm of water, respectively, during the trial.. The highest average yield per plant was obtained from ABA IR125 combination as 1124.5 (g/plant). It was determined that the ABA application increased the yield by approximately 8%, although it was not statistically significant compared to the control conditions. In addition to this, abscisic acid applications had no statistically significant influence on pH, fruit color, fruit firmness, or fruit weight parameters, while a SSC parameters statistically significant effected. Based on our findings, it is expected that the IR125 and IR100 irrigation applications will be applied more frequently in future investigations. Furthermore, the findings suggest that combining ABA with the proper amount of irrigation water, as well as ABA applications in water stress or multiple stress circumstances, may be useful in increasing plant adaptation capacity

Response of Strawberry CV. Festival to Culture Media and Foliar Application of Nano and Normal Micronutrients

The study was done in a greenhouse at the department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, College of Agriculture, University of Anbar for the growing season 2019-2020. It was designed to study the effect of the agricultural media and spraying with nano and normal zinc and iron on the traits of flowers and yield of Strawberry (CV. Festival) under the protective environment conditions. Three agricultural media were used for the first factor included: (River soil and Peat moss 3:1), (River soil and “50% Coantail + 50% Alfalfa” 3:1) and (River soil and poultry waste 3:1), presented with symbols (M1, M2, M3), respectively. The second factor consisted of spraying with zinc and iron nano and normal with the following concentrations (normal-Zn 50 mg L-1, nano-Zn 10 and 20 mg L-1, normal-Iron 150 mg L-1, and nano-iron 20 and 40 mg L-1) in addition to the control treatment (distilled water), mentioned as (S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6), respectively. The results revealed that planting Strawberry in different media had a significant effect on flower traits and yield especially the media culture (M3) which presented the best results for the traits (number of flowers, percentage of flowers set, number of fruits, weight, length and diameter of fruit, and yield), which reached (34.4 flower plant-1, 77.5%, 28.4 fruit plant-1, 21.50 g, 4.28 cm, 3.37 cm and 628.1 g plant-1). On the other hand, the media culture (M3) caused a reduction in the percentage of the fruits malformation to a minimum value of (14.9%). Spraying with nano-zinc and iron and normal zinc and iron achieved significant effect, especially (S5), that gave the highest values for the traits ( number of flowers, percentage of flowers set, number of fruits, weight, length and diameter of fruit, and yield) which were (32.8 flower plant-1,76.5%, 25.6 fruit plant-1, 21.12 g, 4.20 cm, 3.42 cm, and 554.4 g plant-1) respectively. On the other hand, (S5) concentration caused a reduction in the percentage of the fruits malformation to a minimum value of (14.2%). The interaction between the two factors of the study in all of the responses studied. The treatment interaction (M3S5) gave the best results for traits (number of flowers, percentage of flowers set, percentage of the fruits malformation, number of fruits, weight and length of fruit, and yield), which reached (42.0 flower plant-1, 83.4%, 11.8%, 31.2 fruit plant-1, 25.58 g, 4.72 cm and 782.4 g plant-1), respectively. On the other hand, the treatment interaction (M2S4) showed the highest value of fruit diameter (3.84 cm).

The Effect of Foliar Application of Organic Matter and Salicylic Acid on The Growth and Yield in Strawberry (Fragaria Ananassa)

The research was carried out in one of the greenhouses of the Horticulture and Landscape Division nursery in the Plant Production Department - Directorate of Agriculture – Najaf Governorate for the agricultural season 2018-2019. Experiment aimed to study the effect of foliar application of organic matter and salicylic acid on the growth and yield of the Strawberry.. The study included nine treatments, which are three concentrations of organic matter of (HumiferT-ULTRA) was used (0, 3, and 6) ml.L-1, and Salicylic Acid treatment with three concentrations (0, 100, and 200) mg.L-1. Furthermore, it was implemented as a factorial experiment according to the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The results showed that the treatment of 3 ml.L-1 of organic matter was significantly achieved the heist values in plant height, percentage of carbohydrates, and anthocyanin pigment in the fruit, while the other traits were superior significantly at the level of 6 ml.L-1. On the other hand, the foliar application of with salicylic acid resulted in significant superiority in all the studied traits, especially at the concentration of 200 mg.L-1 except the leaf content of chlorophyll and the plant yield, which recorded a significant superiority at the concentration of 100 mg.L-1. Finally, the interaction of the study factors had a significant effect on all the studied traits.

The Effect of the Growing Media and Planting Distances on the Growth and Yield of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) Grown in Plastic Tubes

This study is conducted in the unheated greenhouse of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape - College of Agriculture - Tikrit University during the two seasons 2020-2021. It aims to know the effect of growth medium and planting distances on growth and yield of three varieties of strawberry with a diameter of 6 inches. The study includes three factors, the first factor is media at three levels which are the loamy soil only, the loamy soil + peat moss and peat moss only, The second factor is planting distances which include three distances, 15, 20 and 25 cm between one plant and another, The third factor is the varieties which include three varieties, namely Camarosa, Sweet Charlie and Ruby gem. The experiment is implemented by designing randomized complete sectors according to the split-split plot design with three replicates, each replicate containing three tubes with a diameter of 6 inches, length of each tube 6 meters and each tube containing three experimental units. Thus, each replicate contains 9 experimental units with a length of 2 meters, the growth medium was set in the main plots and the planting distances in the sub-plots, while the cultivars took the sub-sub-plots The most important results can be summarized as follows: Peat moss is significantly superior in the characteristics of average number of leaves, leaf area, average number of flowers, total soluble solids, and total acidity, amounting to 21.95 leaf plant-1, 753.6 cm2, 20.22 flower plant-1, 9.119 and 1.335%, respectively. Ruby gem variety significantly outperformed in the characteristics of average number of leaves, leaf area, average number of flowers, and total soluble solids percentage, amounting to 19.65 leaf plant-1, 594.6 cm2, 20.22 flower plant-1 and 8.537%, respectively; while the verities have not differed significantly among themselves in the total acidity ratio. The distance D3 is significantly superior in the average number of leaves and leaf area, amounting to 18.73 leaf plant-1, 577.2 cm2. On the other hand, the distance D2 is superior in the two characteristics, namely the average number of flowers and the percentage of total soluble solids amounting to 19.70 flower plant-1 and 8.156%, while no significant differences are observed in the characteristic of the total acidity percentage.

Influence of Different Spent Mushroom Substrates on Yield, Morphological and Photosynthetic Parameters of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)

The present study aimed to evaluate fresh spent mushroom substrate (SMS) as a growing medium in soilless strawberry cv. ‘Honeoye’ production. Fresh SMS after commercial production of Agaricus bisporus, Lentinus edodes, and Pleurotus ostreatus was used as a peat substitute in 15 and 25% (v/v), for strawberry cultivation in an unheated plastic tunnel. In the experiment, seven different substrates were studied, including peat (100%) as control and six substrate combinations (prepared by mixing SMSs with peat). The study was carried out in a randomized complete block design in five replicates. The results indicated that the electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and nutrient content varied among the studied substrates. The experiment also demonstrated that the substrates significantly influenced strawberry yield, leaf area, and fresh and dry plant weights. However, no significant differences were observed for selected photosynthetic parameters (Fv/Fm, Fv/F0, and PIabs) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values among the evaluated substrates. Differences were recorded for the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) and Modified Chlorophyll Absorption in Reflectance Index (MCARI) values. The present investigation revealed that fresh SMSs can be an effective and inexpensive peat substitute in 15 and 25% (v/v). Therefore, such easy and immediate utilisation of SMSs could overcome associated disposal problems.

Genomic Informed Breeding Strategies for Strawberry Yield and Fruit Quality Traits

Over the last two centuries, breeders have drastically modified the fruit quality of strawberries through artificial selection. However, there remains significant variation in quality across germplasm with scope for further improvements to be made. We reported extensive phenotyping of fruit quality and yield traits in a multi-parental strawberry population to allow genomic prediction and quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) identification, thereby enabling the description of genetic architecture to inform the efficacy of implementing advanced breeding strategies. A negative relationship (r = −0.21) between total soluble sugar content and class one yield was identified, indicating a trade-off between these two essential traits. This result highlighted an established dilemma for strawberry breeders and a need to uncouple the relationship, particularly under June-bearing, protected production systems comparable to this study. A large effect of quantitative trait nucleotide was associated with perceived acidity and pH whereas multiple loci were associated with firmness. Therefore, we recommended the implementation of both marker assisted selection (MAS) and genomic prediction to capture the observed variation respectively. Furthermore, we identified a large effect locus associated with a 10% increase in the number of class one fruit and a further 10 QTN which, when combined, are associated with a 27% increase in the number of marketable strawberries. Ultimately, our results suggested that the best method to improve strawberry yield is through selecting parental lines based upon the number of marketable fruits produced per plant. Not only were strawberry number metrics less influenced by environmental fluctuations, but they had a larger additive genetic component when compared with mass traits. As such, selecting using “number” traits should lead to faster genetic gain.