This document provides information on the production of strawberries. It begins by identifying strawberries' scientific name and family, and notes that they are native to France. It then discusses strawberries' introduction, morphology, climate needs, soil requirements, popular varieties, propagation through runners, planting methods, mulching, irrigation, nutrient needs, pollination, harvesting, and packaging. The key points covered are that strawberries are propagated through runners, prefer acidic soil, common varieties include Chandler and Tioga, and they are harvested when 50-75% colored for long distance markets.

1. FSC – 621 SUBTROPICAL AND
TEMPERATE FRUIT PRODUCTION
(2+1)
PRODUCTION TECNOLOGY OF
STRAWBERRY (Fragaria ananassa)

2.  Common name : Strawberry
 Scientific name : Fragaria ananassa
 Family : Rosaceae
 Chromosome no : 2n=8x=56 (X=7)
 Origin : France
 Type of inflorescence : Dichotomic raceme
 Type of fruit : both self and cross

3. INTRODUCTION
• Monoecious, short day and quick growing plant.
• Fruit crop for kitchen garden
• (straw) berry = farmers makes mulching over the
plants of strawberries by using straw
• 98% of edible portion.
• Strawberry are richest source of vitamin C,
ascorbic acid and ellagic acid.

4. • Edible portion is succulent thalamus.
• Spring frost is major limiting factor.
• 1st fruit crop micro propagation studied.
• It is a heavy feeder crop.
• Artificial man-made hybrid:
(garden strawberry= F.chilonensis X
F.virginiana)

5. Climate
• Plants are strongly affected by the
environmental parameters like temperature,
photoperiod and light intensity.
• In cold climate, frost and winter injury
seriously affect the yield of strawberry.
• Photoperiod has a marked effect on vegetative
growth, plant morphology and yield.

6. Soil
• Soil contains rich in humus because of 70 – 80%
of its roots found in 15cm of top soil.
• It should not be grown continuously on the same
land and on the land previously devoted to
potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper and raspberry.
• It grows well on soil with pH 5.0 – 7.5.
• Soil with pH 4.5 – 5.5 needs liming.

7. Varieties
• Premier, Red Coat, Local Jeolikot, Dilpasand,
Bangalore, Florida-90, Katrain Sweet,
Blackmore, Pusa Early Dwarf, Phenomenal,
Majestic, Sujatha, Labella.
• Pajero : Most successful under summer system
and tolerant to viruses.
• Chandler : Resistant to viruses, resistant to
physical damages caused by rain and suitable
for fresh market and processing.

8. Contd...
• Cardinal X Ark-5431 :- Arking
• Tioga :- Suitable for meridional conditions.
• Senga sengan, Redgaunlet and Gorella :- suitable
for septentrional culture.
• Selva, Fern, Muir, Hecker, Tristar and Trileute :-
day neutral variety
• Selva :- day neutral and Offseason variety.
• Midway, Midland, Hood, Redchief and Beauty :-
ideal variety for processing.

9. • Olympus, Hood and Shuksan (High flavour
and bright red colour) :- suitable varieties for
ice cream making.
• All the cultivated varieties of strawberries are
allo- octoploid.
• Early bearer cultivars are day neutral types.

10. Tioga chandler

11. BelrubiSelvaTorrey

12. pajaroFern

13. Propagation
• Strawberry is propagated through runners
(natural vegetative propagation).
• Stolon is produced in the leaf axils and grows out
from the parent plant during summer.
• At second node of stolon a runner plants is
formed and new stolon arises on the runner
plants.
• Initially runner plants produce fewer roots but
thereafter put forth excessive fibrous roots.

14. Contd...
• Then runners are separated from the mother
plant and can be planted elsewhere.
• A separate bed should be used for runner
production.
• Planting distance – 1.2 X 1.2 m or 1.8 X 1.8 m.
• 30 – 40 runners/plant are satisfactory rate of
production.
• It can be enhanced by GA3 (50 – 100 ppm))
spray.

15. Contd...
• For greater survival and fast growth, the
runners should be lifted in September and
planted in poly bags using the potting media of
soil, sand and FYM @ 1:1:2 for one month.

17. Planting
• Healthy runners with a medium to large crown
and well developed root system are preferred.
• Plants are planted in hill row system either in
single or double rows on 15 – 20 cm raised
beds with plant to plant and row to row
distance of 30 X 30 – 45cm and 90 – 120cm is
kept between twin rows.
• Outer leaves should be striped off and soils of
the roots of the runner should be washed.

18. Contd...
• Strawberry are rather exacting about the depth
at which they must be planted.
• If the crown is set too shallow it will dry out,
and if set too deep it may be smothered.
• Planting during mid September to mid October
is best time in open conditions which does not
require much special care for establishment.

19. Contd....
• Where space is at a premium, strawberries
will also grow well for a year or two year in
bags, troughs, pots and hanging baskets.
• This approach has several advantages over
plants grown in the open.
• For pot culture of strawberry, soilless
composts or those with low loam content,
usually porous media is recommended.

20. Contd...
• Soil : Sand: FYM in the ratio of 1: 1: 2 is
considered as best potting media.
• Freshly dug runners are planted from August
to mid- October to allow proper establishment
and a good crop in first summer but for
getting fruits other than normal season
planting time can be manipulated accordingly
because one can shift the bags/container in
shade net or poly house whenever needed.

21. Mulching
• Mulching in strawberry minimizes the freezing
injury, suppresses weed growth and
importantly reduces the chances of softening
of fruits.
• Commonly used mulching materials :- clean
straw, black and double coloured polythene.
• Mulching with black or double colour
polythene material gives good weed control,
advances early cropping and increases total
yield.

22. Planting system
Matted Row :
• Most common system of plantation followed in
India.
• Runners are planted with spacing of 90 x 45 cm.
• runners after the initial growth are allowed to cover
the vacant space around the mother plant.
• This gives it a matted appearance.
• Prevent overcrowding in this method.
• Heavy soil is suitable.

23. Contd...
Hill system :
• This method of cultivation is followed when only a
few runners must be developed.
• The runners must the mother plants are removed.
• Hence, the individual plants that grow are large in
size and bear more fruits than those in matted rows.
• The inter-planting distance must be 25-30 cm. The
distance between the twin rows must be 100 cm. A
twin row system is followed here.

24. Contd....
Spaced Row
• In case of cultivars producing average to weak
runners, the daughter runners are kept at
certain distance.
• Only some tips of runners are chosen which can
develop into plants. Such tips are covered with
soil.
• The practice is followed till each mother plant
has the desired number of daughter plants.

27. Matted Row planting system Hill planting system

29. Irrigation
• Frequent irrigation rather than a few heavy
ones favour the crop.
• Excess irrigation is detrimental in encouraging
the growth of leaves and stolon at the expense
of fruit and flower and increases the incidence
of botrytis rot and makes the fruit soft.
• To minimize the water requirement, sprinkler
and trickle or drip irrigation may be resorted.

30. Nutrient management
• Organic manures applied in sufficient quantity
(70 – 80 t/ha) may fulfill the nutrient
requirement, if planted for annual cropping.
• The pre – planting application of 20 tonnes of
FYM and 20-40-40 NPK kg/ha and annual
application of 40kg P/ha and 80kg K/ha is
recommended to ensure a good crop of
strawberry.

31. Contd...
• Foliar application of urea (2%), Zinc sulphate
(0.5%), Calcium sulphate (0.5%) and Boric acid
(0.2%) is beneficial for quality and higher
yield.

32. Pollination and Fruit set
• Most of the cultivars produce hermaphrodite
flowers and are self fertile.
• Some also produce male or staminate,
imperfect and pistilate flower, which requires
cross pollination.
• Honeybees are the chief insect pollinators.
• Four strong honeybees colonies should be
placed in field/ha for effective pollination.

33. • A typical inflorescence bears primary,
secondary, tertiary and quaternary flowers.
• Majority of fruits develops from tertiary
flowers rather than from primary and
secondary flowers.

34. Harvesting
• Berries are harvested when 50 to 75% skin of
the berry develops colours.
• For long distance market, berries are harvested
immediately after reaching full colour.
• Fruits are picked along with the caps or calyx
and the stalk, one to two inches from the calyx.
• During, peak period fruits should be picked
daily or in alternate day.
• Yield – 200 – 500g/ plant.

35. Packaging
• Storage of fresh strawberry, even for short
periods is not recommended because of their
high perishability.
• Due to its climacteric nature, it ripens very fast
and get spoiled easily.
• The strawberries are packed in plastic punnets
and are placed in the corrugated fibre trays or
ventilated cardboard boxes.

36. Thank you....