EFFECT OF IRRIGATION SCHEDULING AND PLANT DENSITY ON PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY GROWN IN WATER CULTURE

The experiment was carried out at the experimental site of Arid Land Agricultural graduate studies and Research Institute (ALARI), Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Qalyobia Governorate during the two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015. Fresh bare root strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) transplants cv. Festival were used in this experiment.The aim of the study was to determine the best irrigation scheduling and better strawberry density to get the best production and quality of strawberry fruits grown in A-shape NFT system. Five irrigation schedules (24 hours (control), ¼ / ½ hour (Sched 1), ¼  / 1 hour (Sched 2), ¼  / 2 hours (Sched 3), ¼  / 3 hours (Sched 4) and two plant density per square meter (21 plants / m² “PD-1”,32 plants / m² “PD-2”) and the combinations among them were tested in this experiment. The EC of the nutrient solution was adjusted at the range of 2.0 – 2.5 m.mhos^-2 and pH was maintained at the range of 5.5-6.0 throughout the experimental time. The measurements recorded were as follows: number of leaves, % of fruit set, early and total yield and mean fruit weight. Quality measurements included total soluble solids (TSS) (the percentage of TSS was determined by using hand refractometer), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and fruit acidity. Results indicated that irrigating plants for 15 min every ½ hour increased productivity (mean fruit weight, early yield and total yield) and quality (TSS) but reduced vitamin C and fruit acidity of strawberry. While the irrigating plants every 1 hour reduced number of leaves, set %, early & total yield, mean fruit weight, TSS.