Effect of Planting Times on Growth and Phenological Attributes of Different Strawberry Cultivars

The current study was done to assess the effects of planting time on different cultivars of strawberry.

The experiment was conducted in open field conditions during the rabi. The treatment consisted of two factors; four planting times (October 2^nd week P₁, October 4^th week P₂, November 2^nd week P₃ and November 4^th week P₄) and three cultivars (Winter Dawn V₁, Camarosa V₂ and Nabila V₃), forming 12 treatment combinations arranged in a split plot design with three replications.

The experimental results revealed that among the planting times, treatment P₄ (November 4^th week) recorded highest survival percentage (84.91%), plant height (13.20 cm at 60 DAP and 15.82 cm at last harvest), number of leaves (11.77 and 14.90) and chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total content (1.26, 0.44 and 1.68 mg g^-1). It also showed the earliest flowering (29.41 days), fruit set (37.67 days) and first picking (48.73 days). In contrast, P₁ (October second week) showed the longest harvest duration (78.25 days) and maximum days to last picking (138.35 days). Among cultivars, Camarosa (V₂) recorded higher survival (83.85%), plant height (13.49 and 15.89 cm), leaf number (11.82 and 14.98) and total chlorophyll (1.65 mg g^-1). Winter Dawn (V₁) was earlier in flowering (28.95 days), fruit set (37.21 days) and first picking (49.02 days), while Camarosa had a longer fruiting period (78.54 days) and later last picking (137.01 days).