Mayte Ariza

ABSTRACT Strawberry production requires the input of large amounts of water and its cultivation under plastic tunnels, relies entirely on water provided by irrigation during the production cycle. In these systems, water management is not easy, since soils are very poor and with low water holding capacity (sandy soils), and growers tend to use excessively and inadequately supplied water. This is especially tough at Huelva (the most important strawberry cropping area in Europe), where water is scarce and its use for irrigation is limited. Knowledge of water requirements of the main competitive strawberry cultivars of the region and their physiological and agronomical response to possible restrictions on water supply is required to keep its environmental sustainability. In this sense, no information pertaining to water requirements, crop-water use efficiency (WUEc) and to the relative response to water shortage of the main strawberry cultivars currently growing in Huelva is available. Two experimental designs were carried out for the comparative evaluation of water requirements of seven strawberry cultivars (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) and of their physiological and growth response to water shortage (70% ETc). Main results showed that water consumption differs substantially among cultivars and these differences were associated with differences in the biomass partitioning into the harvest product (i.e. harvest index; HI) and in the transpiration efficiency of the standing biomass (TEv) closely related to instantaneous water use efficiency (A/T). Cultivars were segregated on the basis of the relationship between both parameters, which integrate the differences among cultivars at the physiological (chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange, SPAD index, etc) and at the growth response (fruit production, patterns of carbon allocation, LMA) levels in both water treatments. It is concluded that, in horticultural crops, such strawberry, greater leaf-level water use efficiency is not always an agronomical advantage in terms of water use.

Abstract. Misshapen fruit represent a significant problem for strawberry (Fragaria 3ananassa Duch.) producers around the world. We investigated the effect of cultivar and different cropping practices on the productivity of strawberry plants growing in tunnels at Huelva (Spain) over three years. In the first experiment, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Ventana’, and ‘Medina’ were planted on 10 or 22 Oct. at standard (30 3 25 cm), wide (35 3 25 cm), or narrow (25 3 25 cm) spacings. In the second experiment, ‘Camarosa’ was grown in macro- or microtunnels with and without bees. There was no effect of plant density. Planting time resulted in higher early yields in ‘Ventana’ and higher misshapen fruit in ‘Camarosa’ with an early compared with a late planting. ‘Camarosa’ had the lowest yields and the highest incidence of misshapen fruit. More of the early crop was misshaped and this was related to low temperatures in the 7 weeks before harvest. Pollination reduced the incidence of misshapen fruit and increase...

Strawberry is among the most widely consumed fruits in the world and its cultivation is increasing worldwide. This continuous increase in its cultivation acreage should be concomitant with the development of new production practices to achieve a friendly equilibrium with the surrounding environment. In this chapter, it is intended to give an overview of the main issues to deal with in order to improve yield and sustainability of strawberry cultivation. It summarizes results from our previous research and from the literature, and discusses pertinent unpublished results. Main headlines cluster the outcomes from strawberry breeding programs for improving yield and fruit quality (i.e. organoleptic and nutraceutic features); cropping systems and cultural practices for enhancing strawberry fitness and environmental friendship, such as macro-tunnel systems, biosolarization and soil-less cultivation; and the optimization of water-use efficiency by undertaking precise irrigation in strawberr...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Huelva (Spain) is the main region for strawberry production in Europe. Most fruit production is exported for fresh consumption to European countries, where consumers demand high fruit quality and appreciate its healthy properties. Strawberry intake is a valuable source of antioxidants compounds with important health benefits. The higher the antioxidant capacity of a cultivar, the better the enhancement of human health. OBJECTIVE: The comparative knowledge of fruit composition on antioxidant compounds and its variation along the cropping season, in ten strawberry cultivars cropped at Huelva. METHODS: Fruit yield and citric acid, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, anthocyanins content as well as antioxidant capacity of fruits were evaluated in ten strawberry cultivars at three harvesting times during the 2014 field campaign. RESULTS: Yield and fruit parameters analyzed were strongly influenced by the genotype and by the time of harvesting. Strawberry fruit quality and antioxidant properties were greater when harvested from mid- to late- season and were not associated with higher yields. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy properties of strawberry fruits depend on cultivar and harvest time. Knowledge of the nutritional properties of these strawberry cultivars might translate into benefits to growers and enhancement of health for consumers. Keywords: Antioxidant, cropping conditions, harvesting, health, fruit quality, vitamin C, phenolics, yield