Influence of polyethylene mulching film of different color and thickness on pine strawberry varieties’ yield

Michurin Federal Sientific Center, Michurin Str., 30, 393774 Michurinsk, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: koziriv@yandex.ru

Abstract

Experiments were carried out in 2018-2020 in the FSBSI “FSC named after I. V. Michurin” (Michurinsk, Tambov region) to check the influence of polyethylene mulch of different colors and density on the yield of pine strawberry varieties (Fragaria x ananassa Duch). The experiment was established on the following rows mulching options with polyethylene film produced in Spain: 1. Black, 60 μm density (control); 2. Black, 30 μm density; 3. White on black, 30 μm density. Allocation is random. Number of plants per plot - 25. Plants of five varieties of pine strawberry were studied - ‘Vima Kimberly’ (control), ‘Alice’, ‘Malwina’, ‘Fliar’, ‘Fleurette’, which were planted by “frigo” seedlings with a diameter of up to 15 mm in rows of 80 cm width, 15 cm height, with a distance between two lines of 40cm and in a row - 30cm. The analysis of the experimental results showed that in each fruiting year the higher yield was obtained in the option with black polyethylene film and a density of 60 μm. Comparative assessment of the studied varieties showed that the reliably high yield was obtained from the ‘Fleurette’ variety by the years of the experiment: by 18.2%, 68.4% and 51.6% higher compared to Vima Kimberly variety. In the option with white on black 30 μm polyethylene film, 2 - 6 days later onset of the ripening phenophase timing compared to the control was noted, which is due to a lower soil temperature under mulching materials during the development of plants.