Fruit Quality Changes and Yield Components of Strawberry cv. Camarosa in Responses to the Application of Potassium to Nitrogen Ratios in Soilless Culture

Supplying proper ratios of nutrients in different stages of growth and development may increase yield and fruit quality of horticultural crops. Treatments consisted of three potassium concentrations (200, 250 and 300 mg L-1) and two nitrogen concentrations (120 and 200 mg L-1). To prepare the medium used 1:1 (v/v) ratio of cocopeat and perlite. In order to determine the best potassium to nitrogen ratios, some plants were continually fertigated with the same K:N ratios to the end of experiment period and other plants were fertigated with different N:K ratios in vegetative and reproductive stages. Results showed that tenth treatment significantly increased a physiological parameters case of yield length, diameter, achenes number and weight of fruit, yield and fruit set and qualitative parameters case of yield phenol, ascorbic acid and anthocyanin. None of the treatments had significant effect on titratable acidity, number of florescence and flower of the strawberry. Considering all measured parameters, tenth treatment was the best nutrition solution. These results suggest that K:N ratio with 200.180 mg L-1 and 300.120 mg L-1 in vegetative and reproductive stages respectively can be applied as a proper proportion to improve yield, mineral and carbohydrate reserves.