The Efficacy of Different Mulching with Spacing on Growth and Yield of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) cv Chandler

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Horticultural Research Farm of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. The experiment was performed to find out the most suitable mulching material and an ideal spacing for straw berry cultivation under Lucknow conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications. The treatments comprised of three mulching materials viz. paddy straw, black polyethylene, and transparent polyethylene) with three spacings (30 x 15 cm and 30 x 20 cm and 30 x 30). On the basis of the statistical data, it is concluded that spacing of 30 x 30 cm with black polyethylene mulch was found to be the best in terms of plant growth viz. plant height, spread of plants, Number of flowers per plant, Number of leaves per plant, Fruit weight, Fruit length, Fruit diameter, Specific gravity of Fruit, and Fruit yield per plant, Fruit yield per plot, Fruit yield per plant and leaf area.However, there was slight difference in quality parameters among different treatments.The data recorded was significant difference in number of leaves per plant. Spacing 30x30 cm treatment S3 gave the maximum number of leaves per plant (19.17), which was statistically similar (18.66) to at 30x20 cm spacing, while 30x15 cm spacing gave the minimum number of leaves per plant (17.89).Different mulching showed significant differences on the number of leaves per plant. The maximum number of leaves per plant was recorded in (21.23) from black polythene mulch (M2) which was closely followed treatment (M3) and maximum number of leaves per plant was recorded in (15.79) M1 (Transparent polythene mulch).