Integrated nutrient management for strawberry cultivation

Abstract

A field study was conducted to standardize integrated nutrient supply system for strawberry through various organic, inorganic and biological sources without affecting the yield and fruit quality of strawberry crop at lower cost. Total recommended doses of organic and inorganic fertilizers (50 t/ha farmyard manure and 80, 40, 40 kg/ ha N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively) were cumulatively calculated in terms N, P and K and supplied through different combinations and split doses of organic and inorganic sources. Majority of plant growth parameters like number of crown (4.33/plant), number of runners (11.33/plant), length of runners (45.67 cm), number of plantlets (12.53 lakh/ha), and fruit characteristics like number of flowers (29.60/plant), number of berries (22.27/plant) and fruit yield (101.99 q/ha) were recorded maximum in Azotobacter inoculated treatment with 50% N substitution by vermicompost and remaining 50% through inorganic fertilizer in two equal splits at establishment and before flowering stage. Number of leaves per plant, duration of flowering and weight of berry were not affected significantly by treatments. Plant growth characters like height (16.65 cm), spread (34.52 cm) and leaf area (108.32 cm2) were highest in inorganic fertilized plots. However, N substitution by FYM provided highest B:C ratio than vermicompost due to its lower cost of production.