Preliminary results of soilless cultivated strawberry cultivars in the autumn-spring cycle in the mid-Adriatic area
Strawberry is a fruit appreciated and consumed all year round; however, availability is different according to the season and there is significant variation in price between seasonal and out-of-season fruits.
Italian production, in particular in the central regions, is concentrated in the spring (April and May) through a single-cropping system.
This results in a lower fruit price as a result of the high market supply.
The autumn months (October and November) are therefore, very interesting because the high demand results in a significant increase in prices, almost three times higher than spring prices.
The aim of this work is to investigate the production and quality of June-bearing strawberry cultivars in autumn-spring soilless cultivation.
The study was conducted on a farm located in the Marche region, in central Italy, to test the productive and qualitative response of the following June-bearing cultivars: Clery, Aurea, Asia, Sibilla, and Tea. Results confirmed the adaptability to soilless and autumn-spring cultivation of the cultivars tested.
The autumn harvest is characterised by lower yield but with higher fruit quality than the spring harvesting period. Asia and Sibilla showed the highest yield in the autumn, whilst Clery fruits had the highest organoleptic quality in both harvesting periods.
This autumn-spring soilless cultivation system offers interesting opportunities to farmers for covering a longer period in the out-of-season market.
Capocasa, F., Balducci, F., Mazzoni, L., Marcellini, M., Qaderi, R. and Mezzetti, B. (2021). Preliminary results of soilless cultivated strawberry cultivars in the autumn-spring cycle in the mid-Adriatic area. Acta Hortic. 1309, 591-596
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1309.85
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1309.85
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1309.85
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1309.85
Fragaria × ananassa, June-bearing cultivars, double-cropping, plant yield, fruit quality
English
1309_85
591-596
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology
- Division Protected Cultivation and Soilless Culture
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
- Working Group Strawberry Culture and Management