Interaction Effects of Different Fertigation Levels and Cultivars On Growth, Yield, Quality and Leaf Nutrient Content of Strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa Duch) Under Protected Cultivation
摘要
The present study was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, Dr. K.S.G.A. College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib (HP) during 2021–2022 to evaluate the “interaction effects of different fertigation levels and cultivars on growth, yield, quality and leaf nutrient content of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) under protected cultivation”. The findings indicate that the application of F3 (100% RDF of NPK) led to the highest plant growth characteristics, including plant height (25.88 cm), number of leaves/plant (24.72), leaf area (60.74 cm2), number of runners/plant (3.43), and plant spread in the N–S (47.14 cm) & E–W (45.75 cm) directions. However, in terms of yield and chemical characteristics, the highest values for fruit weight (21.14 g), fruit length (50.56 mm), fruit breadth (42.85 mm), yield/ha (255.16 q), anthocyanin (48.93 mg/100 g), ascorbic acid (80.69 mg/100 g) and leaf nutrient content such as N (3.06%), P (0.43%) and K (2.29%) were recorded in plants fertigated with F3 (100% RDF of NPK). Interestingly, the maximum fertilizer use efficiency (82.78 kg/ha) was recorded in plants fertigated with F1 (50% RDF of NPK). Despite the importance of nutritional management in strawberries, research on optimizing fertigation for different cultivars is limited. Existing studies provide generalized recommendations without considering cultivar-specific responses or fertilizer use efficiency. This experiment aims to find the optimal fertigation level to improve growth, yield, and fruit quality while ensuring sustainable nutrient management.