EXPERIMENTS ON GROWING TECHNIQUES OF FRAGRARIA VESCA CV. "ALPINE" UNDER PROTECTED CULTIVATION.

Black polyethylene bed mulch was applied over the soil surface before planting. The water system consisted in perforated polyethylene tubes placed between the plastic mulch and the soil surface.

A split-split-plot design with four replications was used.

The following treatments were tested:

1. two planting dates - August 20th, September 10th.
2. two bed types - single-row bed, double-row bed.
3. two plant densities - 5 and 8 plants/m².

Plant growth soon after planting was very rapid and early flowering was accomplished after the first month.

During the first 60 days of the crop "crown bud flowers" were removed to further enhance plant growth and development of new vegetative buds.

Crop harvest started in December and continued until May. The early planting date resulted in an early harvest.

Fruit production was increased both by the double-row bed system and by the higher plant density (8 plants/m²). Fruit size was not influenced by the treatments tested, which along the entire crop period averaged more than 1 gr.

This can be related to the fact that in the everbearing Alpine bud differentiation is accomplished along the entire crop season allowing an uniform fruit growth.

For its low sensitivity to photoperiod and temperature, "Alpine" could represent a good choice among the strawberry cultivars which are currently cultivated in Sicily under protected cultivation. For "Alpine" can produce during the winter period when all the other