EFFECT OF IRON CONCENTRATION IN THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND IRRIGATION SCHEDULING ON STRAWBERRY PLANTS GROWN IN HYDROPONICS

Abstract

: An experiment have been conducted at the experimental site of Arid Land Agricultural Graduate Studies and Research Institute (ALARI), Ain Shams University, Qalyobia governorate during two successive seasons 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 to investigate the effect of increasing iron concentration in the nutrient solution, and irrigation scheduling on production and fruit quality of strawberry grown in hydroponics. The hydroponic system used in this experiment was the A-shape NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) system. Two factors were under investigation in this experiment; factor (A): iron concentration in the nutrient solution (3 and 6 ppm). Factor (B): irrigation scheduling (irrigation is running for 24 hours/day , irrigation is running for 15min/ hour and irrigation is running for 15 min/3 hour). Results indicated that, increase iron in the nutrient solution from 3 to 6 ppm increased early and total yield, average fruit weight, TSS % and vitamin C content in fruit. Moreover, results illustrated that the more suitable irrigation scheduling for producing strawberry grown in A-shape NFT system was 15min /h; plants irrigated for 15 min each hour recorded the highest values for early and total yield, average fruit weight, vitamin C content in fruit. Furthermore, the best interaction between the two tested factores was iron concentation 6 ppm in the nutrient solution and using irrigation scheduiling (15 min/h) for strawberry plants grown in hydroponics to achieve high yield and quality of strawberry fruits.