Abstract

DEAQUIZ, Yuli Alexandra; ALVAREZ-HERRERA, Javier Giovanni  and  PINZON-GOMEZ, Lida Paola. Effect of different irrigation water levels on the production and quality of the strawberry (Fragaria sp.). rev.colomb.cienc.hortic. [online]. 2014, vol.8, n.2, pp.192-205. ISSN 2011-2173.

The strawberry is a crop of great economic importance for many farmers in Colombia, mainly in the cold climatic zones of Boyacá and Cundinamarca; however, in these areas, the low level of technology in the production system and the lack of proper irrigation management in the strawberry cultivation lead to an inefficient use of water resources. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of different water levels on the production and postharvest quality of strawberry fruits, var. Ventana. A completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications was used. The treatments consisted of five water levels as determined by five evaporation multiplication coefficients (0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 or 1.6 times the evaporation measured inside the greenhouse). Peat moss was used as a substrate for the planting; the water applications were carried out using a drip irrigation system. The irrigation coefficient of 1.6 provided the best results for the leaf fresh mass, dry mass of the leaves, crown and petioles, leaf area and total soluble solids of the fruit; while, the irrigation level of 1.4 resulted in the highest fresh mass of the crown and petioles, and roots, root dry mass, fruit and maturity index. The irrigation coefficient of 1.4 presented the best yield and maintained a high water efficiency. The management of different levels of water affects the organoleptic properties of strawberry fruits.

Keywords : uso eficiente del agua; estrés hídrico; evaporación; productividad; poscosecha; water use efficiency; water stress; evaporation; productivity; postharvest.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )