Performance of strawberry cultivars grown on different mulching materials under sub-humid subtropical plateau conditions of Eastern India

Abstract

A study was conducted to test the performance of 33 promising genotypes with different mulching materials under sub-humid subtropical plateau region of eastern India. Strawberry cultivars introduced from IARI Regional Station, Shimla were evaluated for their performance on three different mulches (black polythene, paddy straw and Deenanath grass). Irrespective of type of mulches, the cultivar Seascape recorded the maximum plant height at flower initiation stage. With respect to leaf number, the maximum number of leaves per plant at flower initiation stage was recorded in case of cv. Oil Pasand. At the end of fruiting stage, the maximum average plant height on different mulches was recorded in cultivars Missionary, Seascape and Addie. The maximum number of leaves per plant was observed in case of cv. Missionary. The average number of runners per plant varied from 0.3 (Phenomenal) to 9.4 (Addie). The earliest flower initiation stage was observed in cultlvars Phenomenal, Florida and Douglas when grown on black polythene mulch. The earliest onset of peak fruit set stage was recorded in cultivars Phenomenal and 8elrubi on black polythene mulches. The average of TSS on different mulches ranged from 6.78°8 (Florida) to Phenomenal and No-1 (11.48°8). Irrespective of mulches, maximum average fruit weight was observed in case of Douglas (6.58 g) which was at par with that in case of Etna. On all the mulches, cultlvar Etna recorded the maximum yield. On polythene mulches the yield of cv. Douglas was at par with that In case of Etna whereas on paddy straw and Deenanath grass mulches, the yield of cv. Douglas followed that of Etna.