Open and protected cultivation of strawberry in Armenia

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is a high value, very attractive crop and is popular for commercial fruit production in Armenia. This crop represents about 70.3% of the total berry production of the country. The combined area of strawberry production in the field and under small tunnels is about 280.71 ha. The primary cultivation system is in matted rows with two to four rows and hill plasticulture. The main crop is June-bearing cultivars. Fragaria × ananassa 'Voskevaz' is the primary local cultivar. Only a small percentage of acreage includes everbearing strawberries. The main everbearing cultivar is Fragaria × ananassa 'Albion'. The Armenian strawberry greenhouse production area is burgeoning, increasing by about 50 to 110% annually. About 5% of the strawberry production is under glasshouse, while the remaining area consists of large polyethylene tunnels using the Dutch cultivation system. These enclosed areas produce the everbearing cultivars throughout the year. After 'Albion', Fragaria × ananassa 'Murano' is the second most widely grown cultivar. Armenian greenhouse strawberries are grown mainly for export to Russia; 1100 t were exported in 2019. The certification procedure for planting material is under development. Parallel to this are trials for propagation and cultivation to find the best systems for the local climate. Cultivar trials are ongoing in greenhouses for additional day neutral cultivars to improve the production efficiency.