| Abstract |
- Two experiments were conducted from 1987 to 1990 to study
the effect of date of renovation on strawberry yield and yield
components. In the first experiment, 'Benton' plants were
renovated from July 6, 1988 (1 week after harvest - WAH) to
August 24, 1988 (8 WAH). In the second experiment 'Benton',
'Totem', and 'Redcrest' were studied. Treatments were date of
renovation from July 12, 1989 (2 WAH) to August 16, 1989 (7
WAH), and a control (un-renovated).
Date of renovation affected the number of runners per
plant in fall, 1988 and 1989. The number of runners showed
either a negative linear relationship ('Totem', 1989) or a
quadratic relationship ('Benton', 1988 and 1989; 'Redcrest'
1989) with date of renovation — early-renovated plants (3 WAH
or early) had the greatest number of runners. Thus, early-renovation
may be more important in a matted row system than
in a hill system.
In the fall, 1988, early renovated 'Benton' plants (3
WAH or earlier) had a greater number of trusses and flowers
per plant.
The following summer the pattern was reversed; late-renovated
plants (4 to 8 WAH) produced a higher yield. There
was a positive linear relationship between date of renovation
and the number of trusses and flowers per plant in 'Benton' in
the summer of 1989.
In the second experiment, 'Benton', 'Totem' and
'Redcrest' responded differently to date of renovation in the
fall of 1989 as well as in the summer of 1990.
There was very little flowering of 'Totem' in fall, 1989.
In 'Benton', early-renovated plants (up to 6 WAH) did not
differ significantly in number of trusses and flowers per
plant compared to the control. However, early-renovated
plants had a greater number of trusses and flowers per plant
than late-renovated plants in the fall of 1989.
In 'Redcrest', a negative linear relationship was present
between date of renovation and the number of trusses and
flowers per plant the fall of 1989.
In summer, 1990, there was no significant difference
between treatments and the control in number of trusses,
number of flowers, leaf area (LA) per plant, plant fresh
weight (PFW), and yield per plant in 'Totem'.
Response of 'Redcrest' plants in summer, 1990 to date of
renovation in 1989 was similar to 'Totem' expect that PFW
differed between the treatments and control groups. Early-renovation
(2 to 5 WAH) led to higher LA per plant.
In 'Benton', plants renovated from 3 to 5 WAH had more
trusses, flowers and LA per plant, and more PFW than late
renovated plants (6 and 7 WAH). Un-renovated control plants
tended to have the highest LA and PFW but did not differ
significantly from early-renovated plants (2 to 5 WAH). The
number of trusses and flowers on control plants was
significantly lower than on early-renovated plants (2 to 5
WAH).
Date of renovation had no significant effect on yield per
plant in the summer of 1990 for all 3 cultivars individually.
However, compared with the un-renovated control plants, the
pooled yields of 'Benton', 'Totem', and 'Redcrest' showed a
significant increase for early renovated plants (5 WAH or
earlier). Compared with un-renovated plants, renovation
significantly increased berry size in 'Totem', and delayed the
date of harvest in 'Totem' and 'Redcrest' but not in 'Benton'.
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