A method for increasing fall flowering in short-day 'Carmine' strawberry.

摘要

To determine the effect of plugging date and tip size on autumn flowering in strawberry cv. Carmine transplants, containerized Carmine plants from tissue-cultured plantlets were planted in a soilless system in the first week of May. Daughter plants harvested on 6 to 8 July and 3 to 4 August were stuck in 72-cell packs and placed under sprinklers. Transplants were irrigated and fertilized as needed until 1 September, and were established in a plasticulture system on 2 September. Treatments comprised: average-size tips plugged in July, small tips plugged in July, average tips plugged in August and small tips plugged in August. The July-plugged plants increased their branch crown number to three by early November. Branch crown number for August-plugged plants was just over two for the large-tip plants and only 1.6 for plants generated from small tips. Runner numbers were fewer in July-plugged transplants (2.4 per plant) than in August-plugged transplants (3.6 per plant). Autumn flowering occurred in 83 and 85% of the transplants plugged in early July from average and small runner tips, respectively. Among August-plugged transplants, flowering occurred in only 30% of transplants produced from average tips and none of transplants produced from small tips. In plants that flowered in autumn, 12-13 flowers had developed on two inflorescences and by mid-November, approximately 6 were at green and red stages of fruit development. In spring 2005, July-plugged plants produced approximately 875 g of fruit or 160 g more than August-plugged plants. Whether tips were plugged in July or August, higher yields were obtained in plants propagated from large than small tips..