Artificial vernalization of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. cv Sweet honeoye) for fruit quality and increased yield

Abstract:

The controlled use of low temperatures, or artificial vernalization, is essential in inducing flowering and fruiting in strawberry plants, especially in areas with insufficient natural chilling hours. This research focused on the effect of artificial vernalization on strawberry plants (var. Sweet Honeoye) in Marawi City, 9700 Lanao del Sur, Philippines, where the temperature often exceeds the ideal strawberry flower bud differentiation conditions. The study utilized a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), which included chilling treatments of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 h at 3°C. Results showed a significant acceleration in harvest with 5 h of chilling, reducing the time from 69.75 days (non-chilled) to 50.25 days, representing a 28 % decrease in harvest time. Beyond 5 h, there was no further significant time reduction. The mean diameter of the fruit was not affected by the chilling period. Nonetheless, chilling did enhance the yield of small-sized fruits, with 10 h of chilling yielding 10.41 t ha^-1 of small fruits compared to the non-chilled treatment of 2.31 t ha^-1, or a 350.65 % increase, while medium-sized fruits were statistically not affected by the chilling period. Additionally, the total soluble solids (TSS) improved significantly with chilling, showing marked improvements from 10.79 to 11.45 °Brix for the chilling periods to 10.35 °Brix for the non-chilling period, or a 4.25 to 10.63 % increase. Overall, there was a marked increase in total yield with vernalization, from 17.49 to 18.85 t ha^-1 compared to non-chilled plants, which only yielded 4.46 t ha, or a 292.15 to 322.65 % increase. The results demonstrate that artificial vernalization effectively satisfies the chilling requirement for strawberry plants (var. Sweet Honeoye), allowing for enhanced yield and improved fruit quality even in warm growing conditions.

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