New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science
abstracts
Nursery location, planting date, chilling exposure, and bed mulch treatment
effects on yield performance of ‘Camarosa’ strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)
in Auckland, New Zealand
W. T. Bussell
I. L. Ennis
School of Natural Sciences
Unitec New Zealand
Private Bag 92 025
Auckland, New Zealand
email: wbussell@unitec.ac.nz
C. M. Triggs
Department of Statistics
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92 019
Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract The effects on crown growth and fruit production in the
Californian-bred short day strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)
cultivar ‘Camarosa’, grown in the Auckland region of northern New
Zealand, of elements of the Californian winter production system were studied
in replicated trials in the 1999–2000, 2000–01, and 2002–03
seasons. The elements were soil-warming mulch, planting date, and chilling
in the nursery. Plants on clear polythene mulch had larger crowns at the end
of winter but not at the end of the season, a slightly higher early yield and
1–8%
higher total yield than plants on black mulch in the 1999–2000 season.
These differences were smaller than those found in California, probably as
a result of lower maximum temperatures and moister soils in winter in the Auckland
region. Yield and crown growth differences between planting dates varied inconsistently
in each season, a situation attributed to the later onset of chilling temperatures
in nurseries in the Auckland region. Yield of fruit per week differed as each
of the three seasons progressed and large peaks in yield were related to periods
of high minimum temperatures. Crown growth was rapid in winter and early spring
and rates and amounts of growth during the fruiting season were related to
patterns of fruit production and total yields. No pre-harvest crown measurements
were found to relate to whole season yield. Yield was lower in plants from
the warm low altitude Katikati nursery than from the cool high altitude Ohakune
nursery. Yield totals in each season and yield differences between nurseries
in each season could be related to both the amount of nursery chilling and
the amount and timing of fruiting bed chilling.
Keywords short day cultivar; chilling; mulch; yield; crown growth
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2007, Vol. 35:
15–24
0014–0671/07/3501–0015 © The Royal
Society of New Zealand 2007
H06084; Online publication date 19 February 2007. Received 6 September
2006; accepted 30 November 2006
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