Published 2019-04-19
Abstract
Most strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) production in Florida is based on bare-root transplants (BR), which are relatively inexpensive and provide acceptable yield. However, overhead irrigation is required for establishment during the first 10 days after transplanting. Strawberry plug transplants (SP) are an alternative to BR transplants with reduced or no requirement for overhead irrigation during establishment; however, the cost is greater compared to BR due to labor and shipment costs. This experiment evaluated the effect of time in nursery on Florida-produced SP for three cultivars, ‘Strawberry Festival’, ‘Florida Radiance’, and Sensation™ ‘Florida127’. Strawberry plugs were grown for four and six weeks in a passive-ventilated high tunnel during August and September 2014 and transplanted to the field in early October. The performance of SPs was compared to BR of each cultivar from a commercial nursery. For Sensation™ ‘Florida127’ and ‘Florida Radiance’, BR resulted in higher early yield with 2.51 and 1.72 MT·ha-1, respectively, at 12 weeks after transplanting (WAT). In the case of ‘Strawberry Festival’, there was no difference between BR and 4-week-old SP transplants, with an average yield of 1.26 MT·ha-1 at 12 WAT. For total cumulative yield at 22 WAT, there were no differences between BR and 4-week-old SP transplant treatments for Sensation™ ‘Florida127’ or ‘Strawberry Festival’. ‘Florida Radiance’ resulted in 13% higher yield when transplanted as 4- or 6-week-old SP compared to BR, with an average yield of 32.23 MT·ha-1.