Effects of different growing media and irrigaton programs on yield and water consumption of strawberry grown in soilless culture

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different irrigation programs and growing media on plant growth, yield, fruit quality, plant water consumption and water use efficiency of strawberry grown in soilless culture. The study was carried out between November 2017 and June 2018, Rubygem variety was used. Irrigation programs were managed based on the cumulative solar radiation values coming into the greenhouse. For this purpose, 2 different irrigation start values were selected as 1 MJ m-2 or 3 MJ m-2 in a day in order to start irrigation. The experimental design was split plot with 4 replicates (n: 27 plants). The main plots and sub-plots were assigned to irrigation programs and growing media. Two different growing media (coir and perlite) were filled into horizontal pots, each pots have 3 plants (6.15 plant m-2). Growing media and irrigation programs had significant effects on yield, fruit quality and plant water consumption. Coir and frequent irrigations during the day (1 MJ m-2) gave rise to increase in yield, plant growth and plant water consumption values. It has been observed that fruit quality was not affected by growing media but TSS, TA, the amount of vitamin C and phenolic compounds increased where the irrigation interval increased, in other words, when the plant was introduced to a certain degree of water stress (3 MJ m2). Although there were no significant differences in terms of irrigation water use efficiency and water use efficiency in treatments, relatively higher values were obtained from 1 MJ m2 x coir treatment.