RESEARCH ON STRAWBERRY PLUG PLANTS IN SOILLESS COLTIVATION

n recent years, the main advances in strawberry cultivation in Italy have regarded cultivation techniques, the use of alternatives to methyl bromide and the type of propagation material used. Fresh plants have taken over from cold-stored plants in 60% of cases. This prompted the need for new studies on the cultivation of fresh strawberry plants carried out in Sicilian nurseries. This report illustrates the results of a trial carried out in Sicily to find the best plug plants grown by four nurseries located at different altitudes (Madonie mountains, Sicani mountains, Nebrodi mountans) and on the plain (Marsala) and with an open cycle soilless system. The trial was carried out at our experime…

Alternatives to Methyl Bromide in strawberry cultivations

La precocità della fragola inizia dalle piantine da vivaio

EFFECT OF CULTIVAR AND CROWN SIZE ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY FRESH BARE ROOT PLANTS IN SICILY

In the southern regions of Mediterranean areas the plantations with fresh plants (winter planting system) have almost completely replaced those with cold stored plants (summer planting system). Particularly, fresh bare root plants produced in high elevation nurseries located in Spain and Poland and, in experimental phase, in the southern of Italy (in the mountains of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata) are the most used. Such type of plant usually has a crown diameter from 6 to 14 mm, but the smallest plants should be (<8 mm) discarded in phase of selection and packing. Objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the different crown diameter on the earliness, productivity and qual…

ALTERNATIVES TO METHYL BROMIDE IN STRAWBERRY CULTIVATION

Effects of plant type on two strawberry cultivars in Sicily

In Sicily fresh plants have for years been replacing the once popular cold-stored ones. Good early cropping is the aim of all strawberry growers in the island’s Marsala district. The present trial tested the response of the new strawberry cultivars ‘Sabrosa’ and ‘Florida Fortuna’ using fresh plug and bare-root plants. ‘Florida Fortuna’ plug-plants turned out to be the most promising type as a cash crop in delivering extra early ripening.

INFLUENZA DELL'AMBIENTE DI COLTIVAZIONE SULLA CAPACITA' ANTIOSSIDANTE E CONTENUTO IN POLIFENOLI IN FRAGOLA

QUALITà ORGANOLETTICA E NUTRACEUTICA DI FRAGOLE PRODOTTE IN SICILIA

Effect of Crown Size and Cultivar on Strawberries Fresh Bare Root Plants Yield and Quality in Sicily

Influence of cultivation techniques and use of fertilizers on the production and quality of cucumbers

Alternatives to Methyl Bromide in strawberry cultivation

Research on the Origin of Strawberry Plug Plants in Soilless Cultivation

In recent years, the main advances in strawberry cultivation in Italy have regarded cultivation techniques, the use of alternatives to methyl bromide and the type of propagation material used. Fresh plants have taken over from cold-stored plants in 60% of cases. This prompted the need for new studies on the cultivation of fresh strawberry plants carried out in Sicilian nurseries. This report illustrates the results of a trial carried out in Sicily to find the best plug plants grown by four nurseries located at different altitudes (Madonie mountains, Sicani mountains, Nebrodi mountans) and on the plain (Marsala) and with an open cycle soilless system. The trial was carried out at our experim…

Effects of planting dates on strawberry plug plant performances in Sicily

Sicilian strawberry production plays an important role in European strawberry industry, due to early production (February to April) and high market value. In Sicily planting takes place from August to October, depending on cultivation method and cultivar. Plug plants (tip plants) and fresh-dug plants from high elevation nurseries are the preferred plant materials due to early fruiting potential. However, optimal planting dates must be determined for the various commercial strawberry varieties in order to maximize fruit production. We planted four cultivars, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Candonga’, ‘Tudla’, ‘Naiad’, and a selection, MT 99.163.22- Kilo’ (MT 91.143.5 x Chandler) on September 25th and October 1…

Nuove varietà di fragola per la Sicilia

MIGLIORAMENTO DELLA PRODUZIONE E DELLA QUALITA':STUDI VARIETALI E DI PROPAGAZIONE IN SICILIA

Effetti dell'epoca di trapianto di piante fresche a radice nuda di fragola prodotte in Sicilia

Ulteriori studi sul comportamento agronomico di piante di fragola prodotte in Sicilia

Nowadays, Sicilian growers moved fron traditional summer planting with cold-stored strawberry plants to winter planting using fresh plants. Fresh plants let di anticipate and expand the harvesting period from December to May and produce strawberries with better qualitative parameters. Fresh bare root plants are produced mainly in Spain and Poland but in the last years mountain's nurseries near yhe cultivation fields were set up in Sicily. This work consisted of comparing fresh bare root plants of three cultivars (Camarosa, Candonga, Tudla) coming from three Sicilian and one Poland nurseries. the Sicilian plants were the earliest and gave a yield higher than that of the plants imported from …

Evoluzione e prospettive della fragolicoltura siciliana

Effects of different levels of nitrogen on production and quality of strawberries from fresh "plug plants"

Nitrogen is an essential element, not only for its influence on the vegetativeproductive activity of the plants but also on fruit quality (color, shelf life, etc.). To achieve high production and quality standards, reducing environment impact, the S.Ag.A Department of Palermo carried out some researches to identify the most suitable fertilization to maximize the productive potential of fresh plug plants of two cultivars of strawberry widespread in the Sicilian area, 'Sabrosa®Candonga' and 'Nora', reducing Nitrogen inputs. The experimental design adopted was a splitplot, in which the main plot was the different doses of nitrogen, 120, 170, 220, 270, 320 kg/ha and the secondary one the cultiv…

Effect of substrate solarization on tomato soilless cultivation

Influence of cultivation techniques and use of two nutritive solution with different electrical conductivity on the production and quality of cucumbers

The most suitable techniques and use of F1 hybrids enable greenhouse production to achieve high yields, with crops all year round. In Sicily, greenhouse production of cucumber is for fresh use (slicers), producing large fruit. The cultivation technique most suited to greenhouses is the vertical single stem. However, an innovative technique being proposed is of cultivation on a trellis, eliminating lower branches, and training the remaining branches upwards (vertical shoot positioning, VSP). Cucumbers in the south of Italy are grown as the main crop or as a catch crop between 2 main crops. The crop should be rotated on the same soil only after 3-4 years with another crop, unless the land is …

Il miglioramento genetico della fragola in Sicilia

Innovazioni varietali per la produzione siciliana

Influenza della tipologia di pianta e della concimazione azotata sulla Cv. di fragola Candonga Sabrosa.

Study on New Strawberry Varieties Evaluated in Sicily

The variety evolution and growing techniques have modified the strawberry cultivation in the Italian Mediterranean areas. Different trials in Sicily showed that varietal choices are the base to reach high levels of quality and quantity production. In Sicily, 300 ha of strawberries are now cultivated and 'Tudla' is still the principal variety (60%), 'Camarosa' is the most cultivated variety in the other southern strawberry areas, but in Sicily this cultivar does not generate a great interest because of its lateness. New cultivars, such as 'Candonga', 'Ventana' and 'Naiad', have been trialled in the last years but further evaluations are necessary. The trial was carried out at the experimenta…

Environmental and genotype effects on the fruits quality and nutritional traits of wood strawberry in Sicily

In Sicily, the common woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is spontaneous in the Madonie Mountains (554 m a.s.l.), Nebrodi Mountains (850 m) and Mount Etna (900 m). In this region, the main clone cultivated is 'Fragolina di Sciacca e Ribera', named after the towns where the crop originally developed. It is a Junebearing genotype and it is characterized by very small fruits, globose-conical shape, deep red colour, very soft flesh, strong aroma and flavor. Also ever-bearing clones are cultivated in Sicily where they are cropped for many months. Solid soluble content, total titratable acidity, total antioxidant capacity, total polyphenols and anthocyanins content were quantified in berry sampl…

Sicilia: meglio usare le piante fresche ma dipende dalla varietà impiegata

Tre nuove cultivar per gli ambienti meridionali

Effects of substrate solarization on tomato soilless cultivation

PIANTE FRESCHE E NUOVE VARIETà RILANCIANO LA FRAGOLA AL SUD

Influenza Della Varietà Sulla Qualità Dei Frutti Di Fragola (Fragaria x ananassa).

Productive and qualitative behaviour of fresh plants produced in Sicilian nurseries

Sicilian strawberry cultivations are increasing their interest: Fresh plants, produced in high elevation nurseries located in Spain and Poland have replaced frigo-plants. Strawberry Fresh Plants propagated in the Sicilian nurseries have been compared to those came from nursery located in Poland and set in our experimental farm. The trial has been carried out in Marsala (Tp) in the western coast of Sicily under plastic multitunnels. Four cultivars (‘Camarosa’, ‘Candonga’, ‘Tudla’, ‘Naiad’) were studied. The harvest started in January and ended in May. The Sicilian plants were the earliest. Among the cultivars ‘Camarosa’ was the earliest and ‘Candonga’ the latest. The Sicilian plants have giv…

In Sicilia cresce l'interesse per le piante fresche di fragola

Il vivaismo fragolicolo in Sicilia

UPDATE ON THE SICILIAN STRAWBERRY BREEDING PROJECT

The strawberry industry in Sicily differs from that of Italy’s other southern regions since the particularly warm winter weather results in earlier fruit ripening. Cultivar choice is thus of key importance for the success of Sicily’s strawberry industry. The old cultivar Tudla®Milsei has recently been replaced by cultivars ‘Florida Fortuna’, ‘Florida Festival’, ‘Sabrosa®Candonga’, ‘Naiad®Civl35’ and ‘Nora’ developed by both public and private breeding programs in Florida, Spain and Italy. The strawberry breeding program in Sicily started about 20 years ago in an effort to develop new cultivars well adapted to an area of very low winter chilling, with requirements featuring superior performa…

EFFECTS OF PRE-PLANT SOIL TREATMENTS ON STRAWBERRY IN SICILY

The 2005 ban by Italy of methyl bromide (MB) has resulted in significant crop management difficulties in pre-plant soil dis-infestation. We report two pre-plant soil treatment techniques and their effects on the performance of new cultivars and selections tolerant to the main root pathogens. The plants grown in soil treated with chloropicrin + 1,3 dichloropropene were the most productive. While neither treatment affected average berry weight, soluble solids content or titratable acidity, the treatment × cultivar interaction was significant and fruits from plants grown in treated soil were firmer than control s. Selection PA 260 and cultivar Florida Fortuna were the earliest, three selection…