EFFECT OF VARIOUS MULCH MATERIALS AND SPACING ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY

An experiment was conducted at the Horticultural Research Farm of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. The experiment was performed to find out the most suitable mulching material and an ideal spacing for strawberry cultivation under Lucknow conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications. The treatments comprised of six mulching materials viz. paddy straw, dry grass (Saccharum spp.), dry leaves (dry neem leaves), red polyethylene, green polyethylene and transparent polyethylene with two spacings (30×15 cm and 30×30 cm). On the basis of the statistical data, it is concluded that spacing of 30×30 cm with green polyethylene mulch was found to be the best in terms of plant growth viz. plant height, spread of plants, number of leaves and leaf area. Similarly, spacing of 30×15 cm with green polyethylene mulch significantly influenced number of flowers, fruit length and fruit width, yield and quality. However, there was slight difference in quality parameters among different treatments.