Effects of plant type and calcium cyanamide dosage on yield, nutritional and nutraceutical traits of strawberry in Sicily

In the Mediterranean area, strawberry is usually set up by using bare-rooted plants, fresh plug plants or cold-stored plants, achieving different fruit ripening earliness and crop performance. Strawberry plants can be combined with various cultivation practices to improve strawberry fruit production and quality. Calcium cyanamide (CaCN₂) is well-acknowledged as a fertilizer used in the horticulture sector. Its use can enhance the soil fertility, prevent soil acidification, and improve crop production and fruit quality. This work evaluated the effects of different pre-transplant CaCN₂ dosages on bare-rooted plants, fresh plug plants or cold-stored plants. Cold-stored plants with 400 kg ha^‑1 of CaCN₂ significantly increased monthly and total marketable yield. Exposing plants to CaCN₂ at 400 kg ha^‑1 significantly increased fruit firmness by 3.4, 8.3 and 11.8%, compared to the corresponding control (bare-rooted plant × 0 kg ha^‑1 of CaCN₂, fresh plug plant × 0 kg ha^‑1 of CaCN₂ and cold-stored plant × 0 kg 1000 m^‑2 of CaCN₂, respectively). Cold-stored plants with 400 kg ha^‑1 of CaCN₂ considerably enhanced fruit ascorbic acid and phenolic contents. However, for total soluble solids (TSS), the highest values were recorded in fruits of bare-rooted plants. On the other hand, regardless of the type of plants, plots treated with 400 kg ha^‑1 of CaCN₂ had the highest TSS levels.