Effect of number of plants per plant hole and of runner plant crown diameter on strawberry yield and fruit mass

Abstract

Runner plants of three strawberry cultivars, ‘Selekta’, ‘Tiobelle’ and ‘Tioga’, each with three crown diameter classes, were planted using one, two or three runner plants per planting hole. This was done in order to determine whether yield reductions stemming from the use of small runner plants (crown diameter <5 mm) could be prevented by planting more than one small runner plant per hole. Overall yields increased as the number of plants per hole increased for all three crown diameter classes. Crown diameter> 10 mm and crown diameter 5–10 mm runners of ‘Selekta’ and ‘Tiobelle’ gave similar yields. ‘Tioga’ crown diameter <10 mm runner plants yielded better than crown diameter <5 mm plants. Increasing the number of plants per hole resulted in a mean fruit size decrease of 8.9. These results indicate that the use of more than one runner plant of small crown diameter per planting hole may result in improved yields, but not economic returns with existing price structure of runner plants. Nurseries should, therefore, consider selling small runner plants at reduced prices in order to encourage this potentially mutually beneficial practice.