Evaluation of the effect of different mulches on vegetative growth and yield of strawberry cv. Winter Dawn

Introduction

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an important fruit crop belonging to the family Rosaceae and is classified as an aggregate fruit. Among berry crops, strawberry occupies a prominent position due to its high nutritional value, pleasant flavour, and wide range of culinary uses (Bardone, 2013) [1] . Globally, strawberry is one of the most important soft fruits after grapes (Mir et al., 2017) [4] . Historical records indicate that strawberries were known to the Romans in pre-Christian times. However, the cultivation of the modern domesticated strawberry, an octaploid (8x) hybrid derived from F. virginiana and F. chiloensis, originated in France during the 17 th century. The wild species F. vesca was distributed all over the northern hemisphere and was cultivated before the development of hybrid. In India, strawberry is cultivated on approximately 3,000 ha, with an estimated annual production of about 13.52 thousand metric tonnes. Globally, both the area under cultivation and production of strawberry have increased considerably over time, with a substantial proportion of production now taking place under protected cultivation. The total global production of strawberry is estimated at about 9,125,913 tonnes annually. China is the largest producer of strawberry in the world, with an annual production of 3,801,865 tonnes, followed by the United States of America, which produces about 1,420,570 tonnes per year. Together, China and the United States contribute approximately 57 per cent of the total global strawberry production. In India, strawberry is mainly cultivated in the Nilgiri Hills, Kashmir Valley, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand (Nainital and Dehradun districts). It is also grown in plateau regions such as Kalimpong (West Bengal) and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra), as well as in and around Bengaluru (Karnataka) and in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. Haryana (4.26 thousand tonnes), Maharashtra (3.28 thousand tonnes), and Jammu and Kashmir (2.83 thousand tonnes) are the major strawberry-producing states in India (NHB, 2021-22) [5] . Strawberry cultivation has gained popularity among growers in peri-urban areas due to its higher profitability and favourable market prices. As a result, both the area under cultivation and production of strawberry have increased in recent years (Sharma et al., 2006) [9] .

Materials and Methods

The present investigation was conducted during 2024-25 at the Experimental Unit of the Department of Horticulture, Tilak Dhari Post Graduate College, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The experimental site is located in a sub-tropical climatic zone and experiences three distinct seasons, namely winter, summer, and the rainy season. During winter (December-January), the minimum temperature may fall to about 5 °C or lower, and occasional rainfall and frost events may occur. In summer (May-June), the maximum temperature may rise up to about 45 °C. The region receives an annual rainfall ranging from 850 to 1,100 mm. The mean temperature varies between 15-20 °C during winter and 18-32 °C during summer. The maximum relative humidity recorded is about 95 per cent, while the minimum relative humidity is around 55 per cent. The treatments viz., T 1-Black polythene mulch, T 2-Silver polythene mulch, T 3-Sugarcane bagasse mulch, T 4-Wheat straw mulch, T 5-White polythene mulch, T 6-Saw Dust mulch, T 7-Paddy straw mulch, T 8Control (No mulch) were evaluated in Randomized Block Design. The recommended doses of manures and fertilizers were applied at the time of land preparation. Uniform and healthy strawberry runners were transplanted at a depth of 2-5 cm with a spacing of 40 × 40 cm during the last week of October. Other cultural practices, such as weeding, hoeing, irrigation, and plant protection measures against insect pests and diseases, were carried out as and when required. The observations were recorded on five randomly selected plants from each treatment to evaluate the effect of different mulches. The statistical analysis for Randomized Block Design was carried out using Panse and Sukhatme (1985) [6] method. At a 5% level of significance, the estimated 'F' value was compared to table F values. The difference was noted to be significant if the estimated 'F' value was more than the table value, and a critical difference was calculated for further comparison.

Results and Discussion

The data (Table-1) revealed that there was a steady rise in plant height, spread of plant and number of leaves plant -1 with increase the age of the crop. The maximum height of the plant (8.17, 15.96, 23.26, 25.24, 28.67, 29.28 and 30.09 cm) and spread of the plant (15.00, 22.29, 27.30, 32.66, 35.52, 37.20 and 38.12 cm) were encountered under black polythene mulch followed by plant height (7.69 [3] , who reported that black polythene mulch reduces soil moisture loss through evaporation and increases soil temperature during the early growth period, thereby promoting rapid vegetative growth. Paddy straw mulch also showed favourable effects, which corroborate the findings of Thakur et al. (2019) [12] , who attributed similar responses to improved soil moisture conservation and the addition of organic matter. The consistently lower plant height observed under the control treatment highlights the importance of mulching for achieving optimum growth in strawberry. In addition to conserving soil moisture, mulching creates a favourable thermal regime around the crown region, which enhances lateral growth and ultimately results in increased plant spread, as also reported by Patel et al. (2016) [8] . Similar increases in leaf number under mulched conditions were reported by Singh et al., 2018 [11] , who linked the effect to reduced soil moisture stress and better nutrient availability. The number of runners plant -1 varied from 2.87 to 6.68. The range for crowns plant -1 was from 2.46 to 5.20. The maximum number of runners plant -1 (6.68) and crowns plant -1 (5.20) were recorded under black polythene mulch whereas, runners/plant (2.87) and crowns/plant (2.46) minimum under control. The number of crown plant -1 followed the same trend, with black polythene mulch maximum runners, indicating stronger plant vigour. (Patel et al., 2016) [8] . The different treatments exerted a significant effect on leaf length, leaf breadth, and leaf area (Table 2). Plants mulched with black polythene produced the largest and most numerous leaves, recording a maximum leaf length of 8.20 cm, leaf breadth of 11.56 cm, and leaf area of 96.72 cm². An increase in leaf area enhances photosynthetic efficiency, which ultimately contributes to improved fruit development (Cocco et al., 2011) [2] . Paddy straw mulch and white polythene mulch resulted in comparable values, although slightly lower than those recorded under black polythene mulch. The control treatment recorded the minimum leaf length and leaf area, which may be attributed to unfavourable soil moisture and temperature conditions. Data (Table -2) analysis revealed that maximum yield plant⁻¹ 396.13 g, plot -1 4.75 kg and hectare -1 264.08 q were obtained under paddy straw mulch, followed by black polythene mulch and wheat straw mulch. The lowest yield 99.51 g plant⁻¹, 1.19 kg and 66.33 q ha⁻¹ was recorded in control. These results are in line with Patel et al., 2015 [7] , who found significantly higher fruit yield in strawberry under mulched conditions compared to control. Singh et al., 2010 [10] also observed that black polythene mulch improved fruit yield by more than 50% over unmulched plots.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that mulching significantly influenced the vegetative growth and yield of strawberry cv. Winter Dawn. Black polythene mulch was most effective in enhancing vegetative growth, recording the highest values for plant height, plant spread, leaf attributes, and number of runners and crowns per plant. Paddy straw mulch produced the maximum yield per plant, per plot and per hectare. Thus, black polythene mulch is recommended for improving vegetative growth, whereas paddy straw mulch is more suitable for maximizing yield.

References

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