PROSPECTS FOR A MODIFIED CULTURAL SYSTEM FOR STRAWBERRY NURSERIES IN RELATION TO, SUBSEQUENT FRUIT PRODUCTION UNDER LOW PLASTIC TUNNELS: 1- NUMBER AND QUALITY OF TRANSPLANTS

This study was carried out at the Strawberry and Non- Traditional Crops
Research Station, Nobaria, 8ehaira Governorate during the two successive seasons
2000 and 2001. The aim of this study was to investigate the eHects of cultivar, nursery
planting system and mother plant spacing on number and quality of transplants.
Results indicate that using Sweet Charlie cultivar resulted in significant
increases in number of fresh transplants dug in September as well as
dormant ones dug in January. The results of the two studied seasons
indicated that planting nursery stock plants (Super Elite) on raised beds was
responsible for significant increases in number of total and marketable fresh
transplants used for fresh plantations, crown diameter of transplant and
number of dormant transplants used for frigo plantations. Increasing plant
spacing (low population of nursery stock plants) was responsible for
increasing marketable fresh transplants as well as transplant diameter as
compared with those of high mother plant population. In this connection,
increasing mother plant density resulted in significant increases in total
number of fresh and dormant transplants. The lowest plant spacing for Sweet
Charlie as well as Camarosa gave the highest number of fresh and dormant
transplants. On the other hand, the best treatment combination which
produced the highest number of marketable fresh transplants as well as the
biggest crown diameter was the widest plant spacing (2m) with Sweet Charlie
or Camarosa. As for number of marketable and total fresh transplants, Sweet
Charlie planted 0 n raised bed system at t he largest plant distance showed
the highest values in addition to Camarosa cultivar, planted on raised beds at
the largest two plant distances in the second season. Planting nursery stock
plants on raised beds caused significant increments in dry weight of leaves,
crown and roots and carbohydrate content in roots and crowns of the
produced transplants in the two years except carbohydrates content in
crowns In the second season.