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Effect of fertigation on growth, yield, fruit quality and leaf nutrients content
of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cv Chandler

Article  in  Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences · October 2015

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 Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 85 (10): 1319–23, October 2015/Article

Effect of fertigation on growth, yield, fruit quality and leaf nutrients content of
strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cv Chandler
DILIP SINGH KACHWAYA1 and J S CHANDEL2

Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173 230

Received: 10 October 2014; Accepted: 5 August 2015

ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 to study the performance of different levels of fertigation and
soil fertilization on growth, yield, fruit quality and leaf nutrients content of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.).
The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with five fertigation treatments, viz. (T1) recommended dose
of NPK through soil, (T2) recommended dose of NPK through drip, (T3) ¾ of recommended dose of NPK through
drip, (T4) ½ of recommended dose of NPK through drip and (T5) 1/3 of recommended dose of NPK through drip and
each treatment was replicated five times. The healthy runners of cv. Chandler were planted at a spacing of 25 cm × 50
cm in well prepared beds of 2 m × 2 m size in the last week of September 2011 and 2012 as the crop was taken as annual
crop. The results revealed that fertigation with recommended dose of NPK gave significantly higher plant height
(24.23 cm), leaf area (129.20 cm2), fruit yield (35.64 tonnes/ha) as compared to fertigation with ½ and 1/3 of
recommended dose of NPK and soil fertilization, but was found at par with ¾ recommended dose of NPK fertigation
treatment. The maximum fruit length (42.49 mm), fruit breadth (31.74 mm) and fruit weight (19.87 g) was also
recorded in fertigation with full recommended dose of NPK. The values of TSS (9.88oB), total sugar (9.44%),
anthocyanin (0.249 OD) and ascorbic acid (53.39 mg/100g) was significantly higher in fertigation with recommended
dose of NPK treatment as compared to lower levels of fertigation and soil fertilization. The plants fertigated with full
and ¾ recommended dose of NPK also had higher leaf nutrients content. Fertigation with ¾ of recommended dose of
NPK registered 60 per cent higher fertilizer use efficiency over soil fertilization with full recommended dose of NPK
and also resulted in 25 per cent saving of fertilizers without any adverse effect on growth, yield and fruit quality.

Key words: Chandler, Fertigation, Quality, Strawberry, Yield

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is one of of the applied nutrients in order to meet the actual
the most important soft fruit and is commercially cultivated nutritional requirement of the crop throughout the growing
in the states of Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar season (Raina et al. 2011). Keeping these points in view,
Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and the present investigation was carried out to study the effect
Kashmir, Meghalaya and West Bengal (Singh et al. 2006). of different levels of fertigation on growth, yield and fruit
Among the fruits, it gives quickest return in shortest quality of strawberry and to work out its fertilizer use
possible time. It is a shallow rooted plant, thus requires efficiency over soil fertilization.
nutrients more frequent for normal plant growth and fruit
production. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Applying fertilizers through an efficient drip irrigation A field experiment was conducted on strawberry
system offers a vast potential for more accurate and timely cultivar Chandler at Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture
crop nutrition. Fertilizers applied through broadcasting are and Forestry, Solan (Himachal Pradesh) located at 30° 51’
not efficiently utilized by the plant, whereas, fertigation latitude and 76° 11’ E longitude and at an elevation of 1250
allows an accurate and uniform application of nutrients to meter above mean sea level during 2011 and 2012. The soil
the wetted area, where the active roots are concentrated was clay loam with pH 6.3, organic carbon 1.92% and
(Jat et al. 2011). Fertigation also increases the efficiency in available N, P, K was 368.70, 24.21 and 161 kg/ha,
the application of the fertilizers, thus reduces the respectively. The experiment was laid out in Randomized
production cost as well as lessens the potential of ground Block Design with five fertigation treatments, (T 1 )
water pollution caused by the fertilizers leaching. recommended dose of NPK through soil (150, 100, 120 kg/
Fertigation allows adopting the amount and concentration ha), (T2) recommended dose of NPK through drip (150, 100,
120 kg/ha), (T3) 3/4 of recommended dose of NPK through
1e mail: [email protected], 2 e mail: chandeljs@ drip (112, 75, 90 kg/ha), (T4) 1/2 of recommended dose of
yahoo.co.in, Department of Fruit Science NPK through drip (75, 50, 60 kg/ha) and (T 5) 1/3 of

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1320 KACHWAYA AND CHANDEL [Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 85 (10)

recommended dose of NPK through drip (50, 33, 40 kg/ha). Leaf samples (without petioles) were collected from
Each treatment was replicated five times. Well rotten FYM each treatment in mid June for nutrient estimation. After
at the rate of 60 MT/ha was applied at the time of land digestion of leaf samples, total nitrogen was determined
preparation. Healthy runners of Chandler variety were by Kjeldhal’s method. Total phosphorus was determined
planted at a spacing of 25 cm × 50 cm in well prepared beds by vanado-molybdate phosphoric yellow colour method
of 2 m × 2 m size accommodating 32 plants/bed in the last (Koeing and Johnson 1942) and K was determined with
week of September 2011 and again in 2012 as the crop were the help of flame photometer. Total Mg were determined
taken as annual crop. Five beds having 32 plants in each on atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Fertilizer-use
bed were kept under each treatment. Under conventional efficiency was calculated by dividing the yield of fruits by
soil fertilization, full doses each of P2O5 and K2O was applied total fertilizers used during the crop growth. The data
at the time of preparation of beds for planting. Nitrogen was obtained were statistically analyzed in accordance with the
applied in two split doses, half of the amount was applied method described by Gomez and Gomez (1986).
before planting and remaining half dose was applied in
February (before flowering). These fertilizers were applied RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
in the beds and mixed in the soil. In fertigation, the total
quantities of water soluble NPK fertilizer were divided in Vegetative growth
10 equal parts depending upon the fertigation treatments Pooled data over two years indicates that vegetative
and were applied through drip irrigation in 10 equal split growth parameters were significantly influenced by different
doses at 10 days intervals after two months of planting. fertigation treatments (Table 1). The maximum plant height
During the course of study, the irrigation was applied at (24.23 cm), leaf area (129.20 cm2 ) and number of leaves
100% ETc in all the experimental beds. (26.40/plant) was recorded in recommended dose of NPK
The height of 10 randomly selected plants from each through drip, which was statistically at par with 3/4 of
plot was measured with the help of measuring scale from recommended dose of NPK through drip irrigation, which
the crown level to the apex of the primary leaf and the registered a plant height of 23.63 cm and 25.40 leaves/plant
number of leaves was counted in these plants in May. having leaf area of 128 cm2. These treatments were
Fifty fully expanded leaves were collected at random from significantly superior to soil fertilization with recommended
each plot and leaf area was recorded with LI-COR 3100 leaf dose of NPK and fertigation with 1/2 and 1/3 of
area meter. The length and diameter of 20 randomly selected recommended dose of NPK with respect to growth
fruits from each plot was measured with the help of digital parameters. The higher growth parameters recorded under
Vernier Calipers on each harvesting. The weight of 20 these fertigation treatments may be due to increased
randomly selected fruits used for recording fruit size was nutrient use efficiency by minimizing the leaching losses
taken on a top pan balance. The yield of fruits under coupled with the split application of NPK fertilizers through
different treatments were determined on the basis of total drip over one time application of fertilizers as soil
weight of fruits harvested from 10 randomly selected plants application. There was a continuous supply of nutrients in
from each treatment and average yield per plant and per fertigation treatments as the fertilizers were applied in 10
hectare was calculated. The total soluble solid of the juice split doses during the entire growth period of the plants,
was determined with an Erma-hand refractometer. Chemical which might have helped in meeting the requirements of
analysis of fruits was done with the standard procedure of nutrients during the critical period of growth. These results
AOAC (1980). Anthocyanin pigment of berry was are in accordance with the findings of Martinsson et al.
determined by the method given by Harborne (1973). (2006) who obtained maximum plant height and number of

Table 1 Effect of fertigation and soil fertilization on vegetative growth, yield, fruit size and weight of strawberry cv Chandler (two
years pooled data)

Treatment Plant height Number of Leaf area Yield Fruit length Fruit breadth Fruit
(cm) leaves/plant (cm2) (tonnes/ha) (mm) (mm) weight (g)
T1 (Recommended dose of NPK 22.05 23.5 122.5 26.07 40.9 30.03 17.35
through soil)
T2 (Recommended dose of NPK 24.23 26.4 129.2 35.64 42.49 31.74 19.87
through drip)
T3 (3/4th of recommended dose of 23.63 25.4 128.2 31.03 42.03 31.01 18.86
NPK through drip)
T4 (½ of recommended dose of 21.83 23 120.5 26.14 40.86 29.11 17.3
NPK through drip)
T5 (1/3rd of recommended dose of 20.79 22.1 117.9 23.04 38.86 27.76 16.27
NPK through drip)
CD (P=0.05) 0.62 1.65 1.23 1.1 0.87 0.85 1.01

72
October 2015] EFFECT OF FERTIGATION ON STRAWBERRY 1321

leaves in plants fertigated with full nutrient package as Mahalakshmi et al. (2001) who observed significant increase
compared to soil fertilization in strawberry. Santos and in fruit size and weight with increasing level of NPK
Chandler (2009) also observed increase in canopy diameter fertilizers through. Similarly, Raina et al. (2011) also recorded
in strawberry with increasing nitrogen level under higher fruit size and weight of apricot fruits with 100 per
fertigation. cent of recommended dose of conventional fertilizers applied
through fertigation. The results of plants receiving
Fruit yield recommended dose of NPK through soil application was
A comparison of different levels of fertigation and soil comparable to that of plants receiving 60 per cent of the
fertilization indicated highest yield (35.64 tonnes/ha) with recommended dose of NPK through drip. It seems that
recommended dose of NPK through drip, followed by uniform distribution of nutrients, coupled with its
fertigation with 3/4 of recommended dose of NPK through confinement in the root zone under fertigation, might have
drip (31.03 tonnes/ha), which was significantly higher than leads to the increased nutrient uptake. Similarly, Peterson
soil fertilization with recommended dose of NPK and (1998) observed better fruit size and overall quality in
fertigation with 1/2 and 1/3 of recommended dose of NPK. fertigated plot than the non-fertigated plants.
The plants fertigated with recommended dose of NPK Recommended dose of NPK through drip significantly
through drip showed 26.85 per cent increase in yield over increased total soluble solids, total and reducing sugars as
soil fertilization with recommended dose of NPK. Similarly, compared to soil fertilization during both the years. The
there was appreciable increase in yield with fertigation of maximum TSS (9.88°B), total sugar (9.44%) and reducing
¾ recommended dose of NPK fertilizers over soil fertilization sugar (6.52%) was recorded in fruits harvested from plots
and lower levels of fertigation, but was at par with subjected under fertigation with recommended dose of
fertigation with full recommended dose of NPK. These NPK. These results are in conformity with those of Thakur
results are in line with those of Reddy et al. (2002) and and Singh (2004), who recorded highest TSS and reducing
Martinsson et al. (2006), who observed significant increase sugar with 100% of recommended dose of NPK applied
in yield of strawberry with fertigation of full nutrient through drip irrigation. This increase in sugar content of
package as compared to low levels of fertigation and soil fruits harvested from 100% recommended dose of NPK
fertilization. Significantly higher yields under fertigation with through drip might be due to more absorption of nitrogen
full and 3/4 recommended dose of NPK may be attributed which may have further exerted the regulatory role in
to the improved vegetative growth and better nutrient affecting the fruit quality. Jeyakumar et al. (2010) also found
utilization in comparison to soil fertilization. Furthermore, that total sugar were comparatively higher in papaya fruits
under fertigation, fertilizers were applied in 10 equal split harvested from 100% recommended dose of N and K2O
applications and such fractionated supplies might have met through drip irrigation. The data also indicates that full
the nutrients requirement of strawberry at different growth and ¾ of recommended dose of NPK through drip
stages thus leading to higher fruit yield. The better fruit significantly increased anthocyanin and ascorbic acid as
size and weight of fruits under these fertigation treatments compared to recommended dose of NPK through soil
in present study might have accounted for higher yield. during both the years of study. The maximum anthocyanin
Gutal et al. (2005) also recorded significantly higher yield (0.248 OD) and ascorbic acid (53.39 mg/100g) was observed
of strawberry with fertigation as compared to soil in recommended dose of NPK through drip irrigation. These
application. Fertigation with 100 and 75 per cent results are in accordance with the findings of Moor et al.
recommended dose of NPK fertilizer on an average (2005) and Wold and Opstad (2007), who reported that
increased the fruit yield of apricot by 16.4 and 13.7 per fertigation increased vitamin C and anthocyanin content
cent over soil fertilization (Raina et al. 2011). as compared to control. Higher ascorbic acid content with
the higher levels of nitrogen might be attributed to increase
Physico-chemical characteristics of fruits in synthesis and catalytic activity of several enzymes and
The recommended dose of NPK through drip co-enzymes which are instrumental in ascorbic acid
significantly increased fruit size and weight as compared synthesis by Boora and Singh (2000). Similarly the
to soil fertilization with recommended dose of NPK during involvement of nitrogen at metabolic level in regulating
both the years. Pooled data reveals that the maximum fruit the physiological and biochemical process especially in
length (42.49 mm), breadth (31.74 mm) and fruit weight (19.87 the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity, which
g) was observed in recommended dose of NPK through seems to be the primary cause in increasing the red pigment
drip, followed in 3/4 of recommended dose of NPK through (Peonidin-3-glucocide) responsible for red colour in
drip. These treatments were statistically at par with each strawberry (Martinez et al. 1996).
other but significantly superior to 1/2 and 1/3 recommended
dose of NPK through drip and soil fertilization with NPK. Leaf nutrient content
This may be ascribed to the increased synthesis of The plants fertigated with full and 3/4 of recommended
metabolites and more uptake of nutrients, and their dose of NPK fertilizers had significantly higher leaf nutrient
translocation to the fruits. These results are in accordance contents during both the years of study (Table 2). The
with the findings of Thakur and Singh (2004) and highest leaf nitrogen (3.13%), phosphorous (0.40%),

73
1322 KACHWAYA AND CHANDEL [Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 85 (10)

Table 2 Effect of fertigation and soil fertilization on chemical attributes of fruits, leaf nutrients content and fertilizer use efficiency of
strawberry cv Chandler (two years pooled data)

Treatment TSSoB Total Reducing Antho- Ascorbic Leaf N Leaf P Leaf K Leaf Mg Fertilizer
sugar sugar cyanin acid (%) (%) (%) (%) use
(%) (%) (OD (mg/100g) efficiency
530 nm) (t/ha/t)
T1 (Recommended dose of 9.04 9.05 6.24 0.231 47.16 2.92 0.31 1.78 0.41 22.64
NPK through soil)
T2 (Recommended dose of 9.88 9.44 6.52 0.248 53.39 3.13 0.4 2.25 0.42 52.79
NPK through drip)
T3 (3/4th of recommended dose 9.74 9.42 6.51 0.244 52.32 3.12 0.37 2.19 0.39 57.46
of NPK through drip)
T4 (½ of recommended dose of 9.3 9.13 6.26 0.236 48.75 2.98 0.29 1.86 0.35 64.54
NPK through drip)
T5 (1/3rd of recommended dose 8.66 8.89 6.09 0.224 44.92 2.83 0.25 1.54 0.32 85.64
of NPK through drip)
CD (P=0.05) 0.28 0.05 0.02 NS 1.55 0.06 0.03 0.06 0.02

potassium (2.25%) and magnesium (0.42%) content was (112, 75 and 90 kg/ha) in ten split doses during December
observed in drip fertigated plants with recommended dose to March at ten days intervals resulted in better plant
of NPK. Similarly, increase in leaf N, P and K of strawberry growth and gave 22 per cent higher yield of better quality
plants with the application of higher dose of fertilizer under fruits as compared to recommended dose of fertilizer
fertigated treatments have also been reported by Wold and through conventional method. This treatment also resulted
Opstad (2007). Jeyakumar et al. (2010) also observed that in saving of 25 per cent of fertilizers and better fertilizer
leaf nutrient contents were significantly higher in 100% use efficiency than full recommended dose of NPK through
recommended dose of N and K2O through drip irrigation in drip irrigation and soil fertilization.
papaya. The low N, P and K content in the leaves of
strawberry which received full dose of N, P and K through ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
conventional method may be attributed to the leaching Authors are thankful to the financial support granted
losses and fixation of nutrients in the soil, which might by the Department of Science and Technology, Government
have reduced their availability to plants. of India, New Delhi.
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