Yield and quality of polyhouse grown strawberries as affected by soilless media and jeevamrit

Summary

This field trial compared six growing media treatments with jeevamrit application for polyhouse strawberry production in Himachal Pradesh, India. The trial found that a perlite-dominant soilless substrate (75% perlite + 25% cocopeat) combined with jeevamrit bio-stimulant produced superior yield and quality outcomes (berry yield, size, weight, TSS and sugar content) relative to traditional soil-based cultivation. The authors conclude that this soilless composition can effectively replace conventional soil growing systems whilst mitigating soil-borne pests and disease pressure.

Regional applicability

This research was conducted in India's hill regions (Himachal Pradesh) and may have limited direct transferability to United Kingdom conditions, which differ substantially in climate, growing season length and pest/disease pressure. However, the general principle of soilless strawberry cultivation and organic soil amendment (jeevamrit, a traditional Indian liquid fermented bio-fertiliser) could be explored for comparison with UK protected-crop protocols and organic certification standards for protected horticulture.

Key measures

Berry yield, berry size, berry weight, total soluble solids (TSS), sugar content

Outcomes reported

The study evaluated the effects of various soilless substrate compositions and jeevamrit application on strawberry yield, fruit size, weight, total soluble solids and sugar content under protected cultivation. Results demonstrated that perlite (75%) + cocopeat (25%) + jeevamrit produced the highest yield and quality metrics compared to soil-based control.

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