Strawberry cultivar selection for northwest climate and evaluation of some fertilizers

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the performance of newly introduced strawberry cultivars in Latvia on open field conditions and to evaluate the effectiveness of nano and bio fertilizers. Eight cultivars: ‘Selvik’, ‘Markat’, ‘Elsariusz’, ‘Granda Rosa’, ‘Panon’, ‘Paladyn’, ‘Suitene’ and ‘Honeoye’ were included in the investigation. The fertilization scheme with application of fertilizers: Nano ELEMENTTM (microelement fertilizer) and Bio ELEMENTTM (contains microorganisms) was tested. The evaluation was done for two seasons. According to obtained results ‘Selvik’ and ‘Panon’ were selected as the most promising for growing in Latvia climatic conditions. They characterized by appropriate winter hardiness and good productivity. In total, the application of fertilizers Nano ELEMENTTM and Bio ELEMENTTM had no statistically significant impact on strawberry phenological development, productivity and fruit quality during two production seasons, while some difference in response among cultivars was observed.