Introduction:

• Botanical name: Fragaria ananassa
• Family:Rosaceae
• Origin: Europe
• ananassa is natural hybrid
• Fragaria chiloensis × Fragaria virginiana
• Flavour is due to Ethyle butanoate and Ethyle hexanoate
• Strawberry can be used differently like fruit, jam, juice and wine, chocolates, flavouring etc.
• In Nepal, strawberry is grown on a very limited scale in scattered pockets, concentrated in Kakani (Nuwakot) and periphery.
• Monoecious, short day, low perennial herb and quick growing fruit plant
• Rich in vitamin C and iron
• Flowers are borne in small cluster and white in colour
• Type of inflorescence: Dichotomic raceme
• Type of fruit: Etaerio of achenes
• Major pollinator: Honey bee
• Edible portion: Succulent receptacle
• Chromosome no.(2n) = 56 (8x)

Health Benefits:

• Contains high amount of folic acid so, good for artherosclerosis, vascular disease decline in cognitive function patients
• Reduce heart attack risk, (3 + strawberries daily)
• High amount of vitamin C
• Contains anthocyanins which is powerful antioxidant (sun)
• Strawberry also contains significant levels of ellagic acid, which is thought to be an anticarcinogenic.

Crown:

• Thickened stem
• Growing point at upper end
• Roots at base
• New leaves and flower clusters emerge from “fleshy buds” in the crown in the early spring
• Crown growth and development occur when temperatures are above 50⁰ F
• Maintain 3-4 crowns per plant

Varieties:

Three types of strawberries are available:

• June bearers which fruit once each season
• Day neutrals that fruit several times each season
• Ever bearers that despite their name, fruit twice each season

Cultivated Varieties in Nepal:

• Previously, Nyoho onho variety were widely cultivated recently, Ankhime and Eyeberry varieties are also introduced
• Scattered varieties in Nepal
• Pusa early dwarf, king`s seedling, Canbridge vigour, Chandler

Propagation:

• Runners – Most common
• Use those formed after blooming
• Early formed runners are vigorous, productive and have better root establishment
• Runners are hard to find in semi-arid regions
• Stem cutting also done
• Propagation by seed done for varietal improvement
• Important to buy disease free plants from reliable nursery.

Climate:

• grows well under temperate climate.
• They flower and set strawberries whenever the temperature is 2⁰C to 29⁰C (35⁰F to 85⁰F)
• With availability of new cultivars, it can be cultivated in tropical and subtropical conditions
• Daylight period of 12 hrs or less and but differs with cultivars
• Minimum of 6 hours of sunlight.

Planting Time:

• Sep- oct is ideal time for planting
• They give quality fruits in spring

Planting material

• Plugged saplings
• Bare rooted saplings

Prefer growing sapling from runner in hills

Or, Store runners in 0⁰ C during summer and plant in October

Soil:

• Well-drained
• High in organic matter.
• Sandy loam to loamy soil
• Slightly acidic for root formation – 5.7 to 6.5 pH.
• Strawberry plants are highly sensitive to salt. Too much salt n your soil can cause “leaf scorch,”

Land Preparation:

• Start 1 month before planting.
• Use as much organic matter as possible.
• Create beds – hill or matted rows, or raised for better
• Apply fertilizer a few days before planting

Soil sterilization

• Wet the beds with irrigation water upto 75% water holding capacity of soil
• In pH neutral irrigation water, mix 30 ml ACUROSIL NANO+ in 1 ltr of water
• Apply this solution @ 1 litre / m2
• Leave this field undisturbed for 12 hours
• For effective application, only apply on the raised bed where plantation is to be done.

Training system:

Matted row

• The runners are usually planted at 90-110 cm X 45-60 cm spacing
• After the initial growth of the first year, runners are allowed to cover the whole space
• It gives appearance like mat so called as matted row

Spaced row:

• Moderate to weak in producing runners.
• Similar to Matted row but the daughter plants are spaced at definite distances by covering the selected tips of runners with soil which become plants
• This is done till the desired number of daughter plants are obtained for each mother plant
• The runners formed later on are removed.

Hill system

Principle: Achieving large fruit size and excellent quality on a regular basis can only be achieved with first-year plants

• This system is followed for the cultivars developing a few runners
• All runners are removed from the mother plant.
• The individual plants become large and bear more than those in matted row.
• The plants are planted 25-35cm × 25-35 cm apart in twin rows
• Single row is also practiced

Mulching:

• Mulching is an important operation in strawberry cultivation
• Be done just after planting (before start their growth) for checking weed growth and
• conserving moisture in the soil
• Fruit rotting is also reduced by inorganic mulch.
• It is two types:
• Inorganic mulch – Black plastic film (widely used) and silver plastic film
• Organic mulch – leaves, wheat and paddy straw, news-paper and dry grasses etc.

Plastic film:

• Silver or black plastic film is used
• control weed and conserve moisture
• Silver plastic are used in hot areas, to distract insects
• Black plastic help increase soil temperature
• With black plastic scalding of berries take place in hot days
• In this system berries are kept clean and reduced the rot and mold.
• The plants bloom earlier.

Irrigation:

• Strawberry being a shallow rooted
• Plant requires more frequent but less amount of water in each irrigation
  • First two months – Twice per week without rain
  • Third month – Weekly
  • Fourth and fifth months -Every two weeks
  • Fruiting begins – Increase again for larger fruits
• With drip irrigation apply water @200 ml/ plant/day

Nutrient Management:

• A fertilizer dose of 25-50 tonnes farmyard manure
• 75-100: 80-120:40-80 kg NPK/ha
• Note:
• FYM are mix the soil at preparation of planting bed
• Half dose of K2O and full dose of P2O5 are placed in the planting rows at 15-20 cm depth
• Half N is should be broadcast in inter-row spaces one month after planting
• Remaining N and K2O should be side dressed at the time of flowering
• Foliar spraying of N @ 0.5%, P2O5 @ 0.2% and K2O @ 0.5% during crop establishment is advisable.

Fertigation:

• Strawberry plant requires 200 ml water per day
• Apply through drip considering soil condition and class
• Early growth – 1st fruit set – 3:1:4 NPK
• 1st fruit set – end harvest – 2 :1 :4
• Post-Harvest – 2 :2 :3
• All at 3 – 4 kg/ha/wk N

Growth Regulators:

• Application of GA3 (50 ppm) After 4 days of flowering and MH (0.1-0.3%) after flowering increases yield by 31-41%
• Morphaction (50 ppm) inproves fruit size.

Aftercare:

• Flower stem should be removed as they appear on plant after planting
• If not removed, flowers create a drain on the plant, reducing their vitality, number and size of daughter plant
• In Hill system, runners should be cut as and when they appear. With matted row system surplus plant should be removed
• Keep the crop weed-free during first season by cultivating, applying herbicides or plastic mulch
• It should be ensured that soil remains around the crown without covering them
• Make sure the fruits don’t touch soil or fruit may rot.

Harvesting:

• Fruiting happens after 3 to 4 months
• Slightly soft darkening seeds
• Harvest daily, early morning, dry conditions
• Non- climacteric, harvest when fully ripe
• Pinch between thumb and forefinger, pull with twisting motion, leave stem on fruit.

Storage

• Strawberry is highly perishable
• commodity so this can store for maximum 7-10 days
• At 0⁰ C and 90-95 RH.