STRAWBERRY

It is an important fruit crop of India. It is highly perishable and soft fruit. It is commercially grown in the temperate or sub-tropical areas. It is a good source of vitamin C. Its fruits are used for various purposes such as for making ice-creams and jams. In India, strawberry farming is mainly done in hills. In India, It is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kashmir, Bangalore, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh.
Dehradun, Nainital are major strawberry producing areas of Uttarakhand.
 

Mainly strawberries require loamy soil having well drainage system and are rich in organic matter. The pH of soil should range from 5.7-6.5 which is slightly acidic. Avoid cultivation in acidic soil as it enhances poor root formation. Avoid cultivation of strawberry in the same land for the number of years. Also soils having nematodes infection should be avoided for its cultivation. To overcome fungal disease, soil should be fumigated.

Pusa Early dwarf: Dwarf variety, suitable for north Indian plain. It has large firm wedge-shaped fruits. It is high yielding variety.
 
Katrain Sweet: It is rich in aroma and is softer in taste. It has big sized plants, cone shaped fruits and is good in taste. Fruits are red in color and are soft.

Chaubatia Abhichal: It has red color fruits which are hard and large in size. It gives an average yield of 295-300gm fruits per plant.
 
Shasta: This is big sized, hard and are good fruits producing variety. The variety is resistant to bacterial disease. It has light red color fruits.

Redfort: It is high yield giving and early maturing variety. It has small plant and leaves and fruits are hard. It can be transported to long distances.

Kavalier: It is an early maturing variety which is good for fruit production. It has small plant and is spreading type.  The fruits are big in size; cone shaped and is light red in color.

Alibritton: It is late maturing and big shaped variety, hard fruits which are aromatic. It is good and commercial purpose variety.

Robinson: It is mid-maturing variety; a big sized fruit which gives more yield and is light in color. The variety is resistant to bacterial disease.

Chandler: The variety is fast growing and spreading variety. Fruits are hard having flesh, juicy and big in size. This variety is good for storing in cans. It gives an average yield of 966gm fruits per plant.

Sweet Charlie: It is fresh eating variety. It has big sized fruits which becomes deep red at maturity. Fruits are sweet in taste but storage capacity is low. It gives an average yield of 1kg fruits per plant.

Other state varieties:

Tioga: It has large shaped fruit, flesh and peel is relatively hard and tasty, good keeping quality, suitable for transportation. It contains 0.70% acidic and 7.0% T.S.S content. It is resistant to bacterial disease.

Torrey: It has large shaped fruit which is cone shaped, flesh and peel is relatively less thick, good in taste, suitable for transportation and has good quality. The fruits start mature in first week of April. It contains 0.70% acidic and 7.0% T.S.S content.

Selva (mid hills): Unaffected variety from long day, cone shaped fruit, sweet flesh which is hard and red in color, sweet-sour in taste, more storage capacity, less danger of pest and diseases. It gives an average yield of 200-250gm/plant.
 
For the hilly areas Srinagar, Royal Sovereign and Dilpasand are suitable.
 

Take deep ploughing and then harrowing and bring soil to fine tilth. At time of last ploughing mix soil with FYM or well decomposed cow dung@10-12ton/acre.  For strawberry planting raised bed , flat beds or matted beds are used. Prepared raised bed of 4mx3m or 4mx4m. 

Time of sowing:
August-September is an optimum time for sowing.

Spacing:
Use line to line or row to row spacing of 30 X 60cm.

Sowing depth:
Depth should be 5-7cm.

Method of sowing:  
One line planting
Mat sowing
Nursery sowing

Propagation is done through runners which are formed after blooming season. Normally single plant produces 8-10 runners but it can go up to sometime 15runners/plant. Propagation can also be done through crowns but it is very time consuming and laborious process. Mainly single plant 3-5 plants/crown.

For propagation purpose, lift runners in month of September and plant it in polythene bag containing, Soil, Sand and FYM or Well decomposed cow dung in proportion of 1:1:2.
 

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

At the time of land preparation, add FYM@10tonnes/acre, Urea@31-41kg/acre, SSP@33-50kg/acre and MOP@20-31kg/acre. Use Urea@30kg/acre in two equal splits. First dose of nitrogen is used at plant growth in September-October month and rest dose of nitrogen is used at the time of flower development.

Provide frequent irrigation to newly planted runners. In case of no rain, in September-October month, provide irrigation twice a week. Reduce irrigation interval in November month, i.e. one irrigation is given per week. In December-January month irrigation is given once every fortnight. At fruiting stage, Provide frequent irrigation. Proper irrigation at this stage will provide larger fruits. 

Mulching is an effective for weed control. Add layer of grass leaves or wood fillings in the prepared pits.  This will help in weed control and helps to retain moisture in the soil. For one acre land, requires 6tonnes of mulch.

• Pest and their control:
  

White grub and cut worm: These pests damage the roots and soft stems by cutting them.
Treatment: Spraying of Quinalphos@400ml per acre to get rid of them. 
 

• Disease and their control:

Collar or root rot: Brown color layer or spots are seen on the stem which will ultimately spread on roots.

Treatment: Drenching of M-45 or copper oxychloride@400gm per acre is done.

Gray mold: Scorching of flowers and fruit rot is seen by the attack of the fungus.

Treatment: Spraying of M-45 or copper oxychloride@400gm per acre is done.
 

Red stele disease: Infected plant shows stunted growth, and runner formation is very less and this type of plant will die in winters. New and corner roots get rot and the outer skin of root becomes red in color.

Treatment: Do not do farming in infected fields.  

Leaf spot: Deep purplish brown color spots which are white from center and are round in shape are seen. Long spots are seen on stem of fruits, petals and fruits.

Treatment: Spraying of copper oxychloride@400gm per acre is done.

Fruit starts maturing in April month. 2-3 years crops are taken but after 2 years the yield will reduced. Harvesting is done when half to three fourth of the skin develop colors. For local market harvest ripen fruits whereas for distant market, harvest firm fruits. Picking is done on every second or third day mainly in morning hours. After harvesting packing is done in containers and then transportation is done.