What was it all about?

The strawberry variety Albion has dominated strawberry plantings in southern Australia, but growers typically produce yields only 50 to 60 per cent of those achieved in California.

This project, which ran for three years, investigated if agronomic factors such as nutrition and watering might be reducing yield. To do this, researchers developed new reference nutrient tissue levels for whole leaves and for leaf blades, to provide a benchmark.

The nutrient data and other measures taken from plants were correlated with fruit yield and quality data.

Major findings were…

• Strawberry nutrition is not a major factor limiting Victorian strawberry yields
• Higher phosphorus levels and, to a lesser degree, nitrogen levels, improved yield
• Researchers believe that irrigation management and the disease charcoal rot are the two main factors limiting the yield of Albion strawberries in Victoria.

The new, nutrient reference values for leaf blade and leaf plus petiole were presented in a fact sheet to guide Victorian strawberry growers. 


ACT NOW

Download the fact sheet on tissue reference levels for Victorian day-neutral strawberries