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Strawberry
Botnical Name – Fragaria vesca
Family -Rosaceae

Introduction

• Strawberry is very nutritive fruit.
• It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
• Strawberry is an attractive, lucious, tasty and nutritious fruit with a distinct and pleasant aroma.
• It occupies unique place among cultivated berry fruits.
• Strawberry is mainly consumed as fresh, jam and syrup are also prepared.

Varieties

Phenomenal, Majestic,  Labella, Sujatha, Sweet Charley Camarosa,   Ofran, Oso Grande, Gorella, Selva., Sangana, Belrubi, Shasta, Fern, Tioga, Beauty, Olympus, Hood, Shuksan, Cardinal, Red chief and Pajaro

1.Chandler (2021):

• It is mid-season cultivar giving fruits  from first week of February to first week of April.
• Fruits are  medium sized, conical to sometimes long flat glossy with  attractive skin.
• Flesh colour is deep red.
• Average fruit weight  is 17.2 g, TSS 8.7 %, acidity 0.83 % and TSS/acid ratio 10.48. 
• Average yield is about 260 g/plant. 

2.Winter Dawn (2021):

• It is early maturing cultivar giving  fruits from mid January to end of March.
• Fruits are large,  medium conical to wedge shaped with deep red and glossy  skin.
• Flesh color is dark red.
• Average fruit weight is 20.2 g,  TSS 9.1 %, acidity 0.82 % and TSS/acid ratio 11.2. Average  yield is about 290 g/plant. 

Method of Propagation

• Strawberry is commercially propagated by runners.
• For large scale propagation of virus free plants, tissue culture is widely used.

Climate & Soil

Climate-

• Strawberry is cultivated well under temperate climate.
• A temperature of about 22-30oC is considered optimum for plant growth.
• Day light period of 12hrs or less is important for flower bud formation.

Soil-

Sandy loam to loamy soil with pH 5.7-6.5 is ideal for strawberry cultivation

Spacing

Strawberry is planted at a spacing of 25-30 cm plant to plant and 45-50 cm apart in rows.(double row planting)

Weed Management

• Application of Venzar (Lenacil) at 1.5-2.0 kg/ha as pre-planting gives good
  control of weeds.
• Use of mulches also help in controlling the weeds in strawberry plantations.

Manures and Fertilizers

Application of FYM@ 25-37.5 tonnes/ha at the time of preparation of
planting bed and a fertilizer dose of 75-100 kg N, 80-120 kg P2O5, 50-80 kg K2O/ha is recommendedfor strawberry cultivation.

FYM : 3kg/m²
N : 8 gm P : 8 gm and K:8 gm /plant,
Apply during October and February

Water Management

• Irrigation is applied in furrows below the rows.
• The use of sprinkler and drip method of irrigation are more convenient for irrigating strawberries.

After Cultivation

• Strawberry plants are mulched with black polythene or grass mulch after one month of planting, which will protect the berries from the direct contact with the soil.
• It also suppresses weed growth, reduces soil erosion and reduce fruit bud frost injury.

Growth regulators

Application of GA3 (50 ppm.) sprayed four days after flowering and maleic
hydrazide (0.1-0.3%) sprayed after flowering increases the yield by 31- 41%. Morphactin (@ 50 ppm.) improves the fruit size.

Plant Protection

1.Red spider mite :

Management-

• It may be controlled with the spray of Chlorpyriphos (1ml/L) and acracide like
  dienochlor and amitraz.

2.Leaf roller :

Management-

Two sprays of Endosulfan (1ml/L) in August September controls the pest.

Diseases

1.Powdery mildew :

Management-

Four sprays at 10 day interval with wettable Sulphur (0.3 per cent) or Dinocap
(0.07 per cent) or Carbendazim (0.1 per cent) controls the disease effectively.

2.Leaf spot:

Management-

• Caprtonbal @ 13kg/ha as soil application.
• Spray of Copper Oxy chloride (0.3%) or Carbendazim (0.1%).

3.Leaf Scorch:

Management-

Spraying with Copper oxy chloride (0.2 per cent) or Dyfolation (0.2 per cent) or
Chlorothalonil (0.2 per cent) is effective.

4.Leaf blight:

Management-

Spray the crop with 1 % of mercuric acetate solution

5.Cortical root rot:

Management-

Carbendazin (0.1%) spray on the plant and Bavistin 1.5gm/lt

6.Gray Mold:

Management-

The disease is effectively controlled by spraying Ferbam (0.2 per cent) or Capton
or benomyl (0.1 per cent) or mancozeb (0.2 per cent) on the plants.

Harvest

Harvest at three months after planting

Post Harvest Management

• Strawberry fruits can be stored in cold storage at 320C upto 10 days.
• For distant marketing, strawberries should be pre-cooled at 40C within 2 hrs. of harvesting and kept at the same temperature.

Cost and Returns of Strawberry

Particulars Cost & Returns
Land Preparation & development –                                             48000
Cost of planting material –                                                           32000
Manures & fertilizer cost –                                                           25000
Plant Protection cost –                                                                 20000
Cost of Drip Irrigation system –                                                   25000
Cost of Labour wages (intercultural operations) –                      20000
Cost of Farm machinery heiring charges and agril equipment – 5000
Rental cost of land –                                                                   20000
Cost of Harvesting –                                                                   15000
Cost of Marketing –                                                                    10000
Miscellaneous cost –                                                                   5000
Total cost of cultivation –                                                            225000
Average Yield –                                                                          175q/ha
Average selling price of Strawberry –                                         Rs.50/ kg
Average Total Income / Return –                                                   875000
Net Income –                                                                                  650000