Effect of irrigation on yield, fruit size and firmness of strawberry cv. Elsanta

A field experiment was carried out over two cropping seasons with strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duch.) to investigate the influence of irrigation on fruiting response, fruit size and firmness. Plants of cv. Elsanta were planted in August 1997. Irrigation was scheduled based upon a climatic water balance model and on tensiometer measurements using thresholds of 200 or 300 hPa in comparison to a non-irrigated control. In the first year, the highest amount of irrigation was applied in the treatment with 200 hPa, whereas in the second year all schedules required relatively the same amount of additional water. Yield in the first cropping season was only slightly increased by irrigation. In 1999, yield of the two-year-old plants was significantly higher in irrigated plots as compared to non-irrigated. There were no significant differences between the three irrigation treatments. There was a trend, in both years, for irrigation based upon tensiometer measurements with a threshold of 200 hPa to produce the best results. Fruit size was only affected by irrigation in the second year, when all irrigated treatments had a higher fruit weight. Fruit firmness decreased towards the end of each harvest season and was significantly reduced by irrigation. The results of this study demonstrate that irrigation influences yield and quality of strawberry.