Yield quality of vertically grown strawberries in greenhouse and open area

Frigo plants of strawberries were planted in Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava. Three strawberry cultivars, namely, ‘Honeoye’, ‘Sonata’ and ‘Rumba’ were grown vertically on three levels in peat bags, in a plastic greenhouse and an open area. The aim of this research was to measure how vertical growing in the two environments affects strawberry cultivars’ yield and its technical and sensory quality. Berry total and table fruit yield, average weight of berry, percentage of rotten berries were measured, as well as sensory parameters were recorded in a line scale by sensory panel. In total, significantly higher table fruit yield was harvested in the open area. However, the total yield was not significantly different between areas. However, ‘Rumba’ had significantly higher and ‘Honeoye’ lower yield in greenhouse. The rotten berry percentage was significantly higher in the greenhouse (9.0%) than in the open area (3.4%), ‘Honeoye’ fruits were significantly less damaged in both areas, and significantly more rotten berries were in the middle and at the bottom levels, than at the top level in the greenhouse. In total, berries in the open area were significantly firmer than in the greenhouse, although the other sensory parameters did not differ significantly between the areas. Altogether, the best sensory parameters had the berries from the middle level in the greenhouse and the top level in the open area because of higher sweetness, flavour, aroma, appearance, and lower acidity in both areas. Berries of the ‘Honeoye’ had significantly lover appearance and firmness in both environments and higher acidity in the greenhouse than the other two cultivars. Altogether, in the greenhouse ‘Rumba’ had better sensory profile because of higher appearance, flavour, firmness, and aroma. In the open area, however, ‘Sonata’ showed the best sensory properties with the high scores in all the tested parameters.