O

STRAWBERRY
(CUZTIVAHON PRACTICES)
(®uHffiFizarRE®N.inRA!eFEeiRE;)

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Irma
Krishi Vigyan Kendra AizawI
Kri§hi Aizawl
Central Agricultural
Agricultural University
CVSc && H,
H,Selesih,
Sele§ih,Aizawl
AizawIMizoram
Mizoram
 STRAWBERRY
lndtroduction:
Indtroductiom:
Strawberry is is one
one of the most preferred soft and
of the
attractive, tasty and nutritious
nutritious fmit
fruit with
with aadistinct
distinctand
and
pleasant aroma, and delicate flavour. Rich in vitamin
pleasant aroma, and delicate flavour. Rich in vitamin
C and iron; it is mainly consumed as fresh. Jam and
syrup are also prepared
prepared from strawberry.
strawbeny. It It is
cultivated commercially
commercially in in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh,
Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, part
Uttaranchal, partofofUttar
uttarPradesh,
Pradesh,Maharastra,
Maharastra,WestWest
Bengal, Nilgiri
Bengal, Nilgiri Hills,
Hills, Delhi,
Delhi,Haryana,
Haryana,Punjab
Punjabandand
Rajasthan. Recently,
Rajasthan. Recently, this
this crop
crop is
is gaining
gaining popularity
popularity
among
among thethe farmers
farmers ofof NE
NE States,
States,mainly
mainlyininSikkim,
Sikkim,
Meghalaya,WMizoram.
Meghalaya,„Mizoram.

Climateand
Clinate andSofil
Soil
It can be cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical areas
round the year with a optimum
round optimum day temperature
temperature of
22° CC to
220 to 25°
250 CC and
and night
night temperature of70
temperature of 7° CC to
to 130
13° C.
climate, frost
In cold climate, frost as
as well
well as
as winter
winter injury
injury
seriously affect strawbeny yield.
seriouslyaffectstrawberryyield.
The Strawberry
Strawbeny cancan be grown on any type of
soil but best is sandy loam soil and very light soil with
soilbutbestissandyloamsoilandverylightsoilwith
a pH of 5.7 to 6.5.
6.5. Frequent irrigation is needed for
establishment of of runners. Strawbeny
Strawberry should
should not be
grown continuously on the same land and
grown continuously on the same land and on on the
the land
land
previously used
previously used for for potato,
potato, tomato,
tomato, eggplant,
eggplant,
raspberry and pepper.
raspbenyandpepper.

Landpreparationandp[antimg
Land preparation and planting
The soil for strawberry cultivation should be
prepared thoroughly before
prepared thoroughly before planting and made
planting and made free
free
from weeds as much as possible. FYM or other bulky
manures should not be deeply ploughed because that
works best whenwhen applied
applied on thethe top
top soil. Soil
fumigation with chloropicrin
fumigation chloropicrin (33%)
(33%) or Methyle
Methyle
Bromide (67%) prior to planting can check the
Bromide (67%)
populations of
populations of nematodes,
nematodes, verticillum
verticillum wilt
wilt and
and even
even
some weeds.
someweeds.
Healthy runners with a medium to large large
crown and well-developed root system are planted in
the field.
field.
The outer leaves
leaves should
should be striped off and
be striped and soils
soils of
the roots ofthe
of the runner should be worked.
Planting Time
PlantingThme
Planting can be
Planting be done
done at
at anytime
anytime between
between July to
April but early planting ensures good crop. Planting
during July
July to
toAugust,
August,however,
however,need
needadequate
adequatecare,
care,
particularly
particularly from heavy rains.
from heavy rains. However,
However, planting
planting
from 15 15 September
September to to 15
15 October
Octoberisisbestbest time
time for
mid hillhill condition
condition of of Mizoram and Meghalaya,Meghalaya,
which does not require require much
much special
special carecare for
establishment.
Method of Planting and Spacing
MethodofpnamtingamdSpacing
H ill Rows:
ELill Rows :Plant
Plantshould
shouldbe begrown
grown either
either in single or
double rows on 15 15 - 20 cm raised beds. Runners are
set 20
set 20 --25
25 cm
cm apart
apart in twin rows;
rows; 30 30 --35cm
35cm apart
apart
and distance
and distance of 90 - 120cm
90 - 120cm is kept between twin
between twin
rows.
rows. This is most commonly used system in hilly
areas.
Matted Rows:
Matted Rows: In In this
this method, the runners runners are are
usually planted at 45cm apart in rows with spacing
of 90cm between the rows. The The rurmers
runners developed
during June to July in the rows and allowed to root
making a mat ofrunners
of runners about 40 --45 45 cm wide. This
method is not suitable in shalow soils and soil with
poor moisture holding capacities.
poormoistureholdingcapacities.
Spaced Bed:
S,paced Bed: A spacing
spacing of of 30
30 -- 50cm
50cm between
between the the
plant and 90 - 100cm within the rows is
plant and 90 - 100cm within the rows is kept in this kept in this
method.
Varieties:: Most suitable varieties for this region are
Varieties
Sweet Charlie, Festival, Camarosa and Ofra.
SweetCharlie,Festival,CamarosaandOfra.
Propagation: Strawberry
E-''Ifopagation: Strawberry is is commercially
commercially
propagated by runners plants. Generally
propagated by runners plants. Generally one one plant
plant
produced 7 - 10 runners
produced 7 - 10 runners but under proper but under proper
management
management it can can gogo upto
upto 15 15 runners
runners per plant. plant.
Runner formation
forlnation can can be stimulated with with the
application of of IBAIBA (100(100 ppm)
ppm) 10 10 days before
flowering, and also with moxphectin
flowering, morphectin (50 (50 ppm).
ppm).
Propagation by seed is not suitable as the seedlings
do not comecome truetrue -- to to -- type.
type. For
For large
large scale
propagation
propagation of of virus
virus free
free plants,
plants, tissue
tissue culture
culture isis
widely used.
widelyused.
Manure
M andFertilizers
amre and Fertilizers:
:A Adressing
dressing ofbulky
ofbulky organic
organic
manure is most wanted aspects in strawberry
cultivation. Organic manures applied in sufficient sufficient
quantity (70
quantity (70 -- 80
80 ton/ha)
ton/ha) maymay fullfill
fullfill the
the nutritional
nutritional
requirement if
if planted for annual cropping.
cropping. The pre-
planting applicationof
planting application of20 ton of
20 ton ofFYM
FYM andand 20
20 :: 40
40 :: 40
40
kg/ha and annual application of
NPK kgtha of 40 kg Ptha
P/ha and
80 kg K/ha is recommended to ensure a good crop crop of
strawberry.
strawbeny.

Mulching: The commonly

commonly used mulching material
material
include clean
include clean white
white straw,
straw,marsh
marshhay,
hay,pea
peavines
vinesand
and
saw dust. An ideal mulching material should be loose
and light so that it will not mat down and smoother the
andlightsothatitwillnotmatdownandsmootherthe
plants and yet
plants and yet heavy
heavy enough
enough that
that itit will
will not
not be
be blown
blown
away.
away. Mulching with black polythene
'good weed control, advances early croppinggives
material and
good weed control, advances early cropping and
incrases total yield. A dis-advantage of of using
polythine mulch
polythine is that
mulch is that it
it must
must be
be removed
removed from
from the
the
field and disposed ofat the end ofeach fruiting season.
fieldanddisposedofattheendofeachfruitingseason.

Irrigation:: Irrigation
IrEigation Irrigation is essential
essential in in the first
first year after
transplanting and rooting
transplanting and rooting ofofrurmers.
I'LlI]Il€1‘S. To minimize the
amount ofwater
of water required,
required, sprinkler and and trickle
trickle oror drip
drip
irrigation may be resorted.
irrigationmayberesorted.
Following points should be kept in mind
while irrigating
irrigatingstrawb
strawberry.
erry.
*
* Strawbeny needs
Strawbeny needs about
about l1 inch inch of of water
water aa
week during the growing season.
** Apply water
Apply water before
before the the plants
plants show show
symptoms ofwater deficiency.
symptomsofwaterdeficiency.
** Apply enough
Apply enough water
water at at anytime
anytime to to penetrate
penetrate
to a depth of
of 6 to 1010 inches
inches since
since the
the bulk
bulk of
strawberry roots
strawberry roots is found in the the top
top 66 to
to 10
10
ofsoil.
inches of soil.
* During the harvest harvest season, avoid avoid
oveiwatering.
overwatering.

Weed MManagement
anagement
Weeds
Weeds pose a great threat and it becomes un
manageable during wet weather. Weed control is con
manageableduringwetweather.Weedcontroliscon
 sidered as
as one
one of
of the most expensive managemeni
managemen
practices. Weedicide like Simazine @ 33 kg/ha
practices. Weedicide like Simazine @ kg/ha an(
anei
Pendime @ 330 g/l
Pendime g/1 can
can be used toto keep
be used keep the
the weeds
weeds
under control.
undercontrol.

Harvesting affid
Harv©stiffig and yield
yield
Berries are harvested when 50 50 to
to 75
75 %
% skin
skin o.
oi
1
I

i the berry develops colours.

colours. For long
long distance
distance marke
marke‘
immediately after reaching ful
berries are harvested immediately full
* colour. For fresh market,
market, fruits are picked
picked with
with cap
cap anc
an(
, stem
stem 12
12 mm
mm length
length daily
daily or
or on alternate days on ar
on altemate ar
l average, the
average, the recommended
recommended varieties
varieties may
may give
give aa yielc
yielt
of200
of 200 to 500 gm/plant.
gin/plant.

Packaging
Pa@kagiffi9
Storage of fresh
Storage fresh strawberry,
strawberry, even
even for for shor
shor
, periods
periods isis not
not recommended
recommended because because of of thei
theii
; perishability.
perishability. Due
Due toto its
its climatic
climatic nature,
nature, itit ripens
ripens fas"
fas
y and gets spoiled very easily. easily. The strawberries
strawberries art are
'packed in plastic punnets and are placed
packed in plastic punnets and are placed in th{ in the
corrugated
corrugated fiber cardboard boxes
fiber trays or ventilated cardboard boxes
l The pumiets filled
The pumets filled trays
trays should
should be kept in in shade
shade oOl
shelter to reduce the water loss from the berries
5 Refrigerate at all time at 5° 5° CC or
or below; if if fruit
fiuit i;i:
A. supposed
supposed to to keep
keep for
for more
more than one day,
than one day, reduce
reduce thetht
% temperature
temperature toto 0°
0° C.
C.

Insect Pests
IHS©@t P©sf§
Red Spider
Red Spider mite:
mite: ItIt is
is the
the most
most serious
serious pest
pest ooi
strawbeny. Aldicarb (log)@5
(l0g)@5 kg/hakg/ha isis quite
quite effectivi
effective
in controlling the insect.
Leaf roller:
Leaf roller; The
The catelpillar
caterpillar folds
folds the
the leaves
leaves across the
th
i mid
mid rib
rib and
and feed
feed within
within this
this shelter.
shelter. One
One oror twt
twe
of Endosulfan
application of Endosulfan (2.81
(2.81 kg/2000L/ha) durin!
during
ii August followed by
August followed by Dichlorvos
Dichlorvos (2.41
(2.41 gin/2000Ltha
gm/2000L/ha
application from
application November to
from November to February
February atat 15
15 day:
day
; interval proved effective against insect.
intervalprovedeffectiveagainstinsect.
Some more insect-pest white grubs and cu
l worms,
worms, Hairy
Hairy caterpiller,
cateapiller,Root
Rootweevil,
weevil,Thrips,
Thrips,Slug:
Slu
7 eetc.
I
I
1
 Diseases
Di©©as@s
Leafspot: The
Leafspot: The leafspot
leafspot fimgus
fungus can
can infected
infectedleaves,
leaves,fiuit,
fruit
petiols, runners, fruit stalks and berry caps or
petiols, runners, fruit stalks and berry Caps or calyxes. calyxes.
The diseases can be control by Bayleton (2g/L).
ThediseasescanbecontrolbyBayleton(2g/L).
diseases: Strawbeny
Viral disea.ses: Strawbeny is effected
effected by at least 20
different viruses. The most important are mottle virus, vein
differentviruses.Themostimportantaremottlevims,vein
banding, mild
banding, Inild yellow
yellow edge crinkle virus.
edge and crinkle virus. All
All viruses
vrfuses
are transmiited
are, transmiitedby by aphis.
aphis. Control
Control measures
measures are;
are; virus
virus free
free
nurners, isolation
runners, isolation of
Of infected
infectedplants
plantsandand control
controlofof aphid
aphid
vectors with systemic insecticides
insecticides and use of of virus vector
tolerant cultivars.
Nutritive value of
NHffitlve ©f strawberry fruits V10©g
strawberry frtiits (/100g ©fof edible
portion)
p6ffi©ffi)
Energy (Calorie)
Energy(Calorie) 44
Water (%)
Water(%) 87
87 --90
90
Fat (%)
Fat(%) 0.2-0.5
0.2 -0.5
Protein (%)
Protein(%) 0.23
0.23 --0.70
0.70
Total Sugars (%) 3.3 --9.1
3.3 9.l
Fibre (%) l .1 g
1.1

VitaminA(I.U.) 60.0
60.0
Vitamin C (mg) 26 --120
26 120
Calcium (mg)
Calcium(mg) 21.0
21.0

Phosphorus (mg)
Phosphorus(mg) 21 .0
21.0

Potassium (mg) 164.0

Potassium(mg)164.0

Prepared@ry3
Ppepuped by: _
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R.K.
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Sing“ Pllb/lSI1€d by:
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