Effect of Different Nitrogen Levels on the Growth and Development, Fruit Quality and Yield of Strawberry

PurposeTo provide a technical support for the reduction of fertilizer and the improvement of quality and efficiency, the optimal amount of nitrogen (N) for strawberry was explored in open field cultivation in Kunming.

MethodTaking ‘Akihime’ strawberry as experimental materials, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of N levels (0, 105, 225, 330 kg/hm²) on growth, quality and yield of strawberry.

ResultThe plant height, leaf number, petiole length, number of inflorescences and inflorescence length of strawberry plants and chlorophyll content of leaves went up with the increase of N level, without significant difference between N₂₂₅ and N₃₃₀ treatments except the leaf number. With the increase of N application, the content of soluble solid, total sugar and VC, sugar-acid ratio and firmness of fruit increased firstly and then decreased, and reached the maxima in 225 kg/hm², but the content of titratable acid increased all the time. The yield of strawberry also increased with the increase of N application and was the highest in 330 kg/hm².

ConclusionConsidering the yield, fruit quality and economic benefit of strawberry, the optimum nitrogen application was 225 kg/hm².