ABSTRACT
The strawberry, when grown in soil, becomes susceptible to fungi present on it. Rotations of planted areas are essential to control disease, reality unworkable for some Brazilian farmers who have small areas for cultivation. This problem encouraged the use of substrates, a technical pattern already well-established in Europe. The objective was to assess the response of strawberry growth (‘Oso Grande’) on three substrates (granulated coconut fiber, pure rice husk and a mixture of both in equal proportions), volumes (1.0; 1.5 and 2.0 L) and irrigation frequencies (twice, three and four times a day). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in Jundiaí (SP), from July 2 to October 4, 2010. The data were submitted to the joint analysis of experiments, in a triple factorial scheme (irrigation frequencies, substrate types and substrate volumes). The best result obtained occurred for substrate mixture, with the irrigation frequency of three times a day, in 1.0 L of the material, with an average yield of 223 g per plant. Rice husk is ineffective for cultivation in pots. Nevertheless, in the form of mixtures, this substrate is suited for cultivation, allowing better results when compared to granulated coconut fiber.
Key words
Fragaria χ ananassa Duch; soilless cultivation; irrigation frequency; substrate mixture; substrate volume
