Effect of drip irrigation and mulches on yield, quality and water-use efficiency in strawberry under mid hill conditions

Studies were conducted to investigate the effect of drip irrigation and different kinds of mulches on fruit yield, quality and water-use efficiency of strawberry cv. Chandler. Berry yield was significantly higher under the treatment of drip irrigation at 100 per cent of evaporation + black polyethylene mulch (78.6 q/ha) whereas lowest yields (12.13 q/ha) were recorded in non-irrigated treatment (rainfed + un-mulched control). Berry weight, volume and size were maximum in drip irrigation with 'V' volume +hay mulch treatment. Berry weight and berry volume in drip irrigation with 'V' volume+ hay mulch treatment were found to be higher by 75.50 and 43.50 per cent respectively, than the treatment rainfed+ hay mulch. Sugar and anthocyanin content of strawberry were also maximum in drip irrigation, 'V' + hay mulch treatment, followed by drip irrigation 0.8 'V' + hay mulch treatment whereas, lowest values were observed under rainfed+un-mulched treatment. However, TSS and acidity values were higher by 12.45 and 29.12 per cent, respectively under rainfed+ un-mulched treatment over the drip irrigation, 'V' + hay mulch treatment being minimum in TSS (7.66%) and acidity (0.73%) values. Highest water-use efficiency (1.27 qha(-1)cm(-1)) was recorded under the treatment drip irrigation at 60 per cent of evapotranspiration + black polyethylene mulch which was 269.9 per cent higher than the lowest water-use efficiency (0.36 qha(-1)cm(-1)) recorded under the rainfed +un-mulched control.