Effect of Foliar Application of Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) Cv. Winter Dawn

Abstract

An experiment on strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) cv. winter dawn was conducted during December 2021 to April 2022, in Horticulture Research Farm of Horticulture Department, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P) India. The experiment was performed on strawberry variety of winter dawn. There are 16 treatments, viz., T0 (water spray),T1(Zn 0.2%+Fe 0.2%),T2 ( Zn 0.4%+Fe 0.4%),T3 ( Zn 0.6%+Fe 0.6%),T4(Zn 0.2%+Fe 0.4%),T5 (Zn 0.2%+Fe 0.6%)T6(Zn 0.4%+Fe 0.2%)T7 (Zn 0.4%+Fe 0.6%)T8(Zn 0.6%+Fe0.4%)T9(Zn 0.6%+Fe 0.2%) ,T10 (Zn 0.2%),T11(Zn 0.4%),T12(Zn 0.6%) ,T13(Fe 0.2%),T14 (Fe 0.4%),T15 (Fe 0.6%) replicated thrice in Randomized Block Design (RBD). The results of the present investigation, regarding the cultivation of strawberry with different concentrations of Zinc (Zn) and Iron (Fe) found as the best option for higher productivity whereas the treatment T3 with concentration of Zn (0.6% )+ Fe (0.6%) showed the best result in terms of plant height at 30 days to transplanting  (8.1 cm), 60 days to transplanting  (15.4 cm) and 90 days to transplanting (22.1 cm), Number of leaves plant-1 at 30 days to transplanting  (7.3), 60 days to transplanting  (21.3) and 90 days to transplanting  (27.4), Plant Spread (27.2 cm), runner plant-1 (5.9), yield/ha (6.0 t), fruit length (4.3 cm), fruit weight (29.3 g), fruit diameter (3.4 cm), TSS (9.3o Brix),  showed the best results in terms of vegetative growth, yield, quality.  Hence the T3 Zn (0.6%) + Fe (0.6%) is best suited for the farmers in terms of growth, yield, quality and net returns.