Analysis of shade and temperature effects on assimilate partitioning in the everbearing strawberry ‘Everest’ as the basis for optimised long-season fruit production
2004
Wagstaffe, Alexandra | Battey, Nick H.
Growth patterns and cropping were evaluated over the season for the everbearing strawberry ‘Everest’ at a range of temperatures (15–27°C) in two light environments (ambient and 50% shade). The highest yield was recorded for unshaded plants grown at 23°C, but the optimum temperature for vegetative growth was 15°C. With increasing temperature fruit number increased, but fruit weight decreased. Fruit weight was also significantly reduced by shade, and although ‘Everest’ showed a degree of shade tolerance in vegetative growth, yield was consistently reduced by shade. Shade also reduced the number of crowns developed by the plants over the course of the season, emphasising that crown number was ultimately the limiting factor for yield potential. We conclude that, in contrast to Junebearers which partition more assimilates to fruit at temperatures around 15°C (Le Mière et al., 1998), optimised cropping in the everbearer ‘Everest’ is achieved at the significantly higher temperature of 23°C. These findings have significance for commercial production, in which protection tends to reduce light levels but increase average temperature throughout the season.
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