Journal Of Applied Horticulture ISSN: 0972-1045
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Response of strawberry cultivars to foliar application of boron and zinc in subtropical Bangladesh

Md. Mofizur Rahman1*, Md. Saidur Rahman2,3, Md. Rezwan Sarker1, Chaity Dey Puja1 and Khursheda Parvin1

1Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh. 2Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh. 3Research Institute for Northern Agriculture, Faculty of Science and Technology, Charles Darwin University, 0810, Australia. Corresponding e-mail: mofizur.rahman@sau.edu.bd

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.61

Key words: Strawberry cultivars, foliar nutrition, micronutrients, productivity, fruit quality
Abstract:

Micronutrient deficiencies and unsuitable cultivar selection constrain strawberry production in subtropical regions. Selection of suitable cultivars and foliar fertilization of micronutrients may offer potential solutions to overcome these limitations in strawberry production. This research was carried out to enhance the growth, yield and quality of strawberries by investigating the performance of selected cultivars under foliar boron and zinc application. The field experiment was laid out in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment arranged in an RCBD with three replications. Three strawberry cultivars (RU 3, BARI Strawberry 1, and BARI Strawberry 2) were sprayed with three foliar micronutrient sprays (0, 50 ppm boron, and 50 ppm zinc) at vegetative, flowering, and fruit setting stages. The results showed that the interaction of the cultivar RU 3 and foliar application of boron potentially enhanced the quantitative and qualitative traits of strawberry plants. The highest plant height (30.7 cm), number of fruits per plant (32.8), single fruit weight (31.4 g) and yield per plant (1.03 kg) were found in the combination of RU 3 with 50 ppm boron application at harvest maturity. Besides, TSS (10.9 °Brix), TSS/TA ratio (17.3), vitamin C (42.8 mg 100 g-1), phenolic content (2.9 mg GAE 100 g?¹ FW.) and shelf life (4.9 days) were higher in RU 3 spraying with 50 ppm boron at harvest maturity. Hence, the combination of RU 3 with foliar 50 ppm boron can be recommended for subtropical strawberry cultivation in Bangladesh, subject to economic validation.


Journal of Applied Horticulture