Impact of diverse substrate combinations and container types on strawberry quality in soilless cultivation

Summary

This study investigated the impact of various growing substrate combinations and container types on the quality attributes of Sweet Charlie strawberries grown in a soilless cultivation system. The experiment, conducted in a hi-tech greenhouse over two consecutive seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15), evaluated seven distinct substrate combinations and three container types: polyethylene bags, PVC pots and earthen pots. Key quality parameters assessed included TSS-acid ratio, total sugars, reducing sugars, ascorbic acid and anthocyanin content. Results consistently showed that both substrate combinations and container types significantly influenced the evaluated quality attributes. Substrate cocopeat + perlite + vermicompost in a 4:1:2 ratio generally led to the highest TSS-acid ratio, total sugar