Reaction of Three Strawberry Cultivars to the Salinity: Vegetative Parameters

The study aimed at analysing the reaction of three strawberry Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cultivars to the salinity (0-control, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 g of NaCl L-1) in the irrigation water: equivalent of the following EC values: (0.73, 1.65, 2.66, 4.37, 5.93 and 7.81 mS cm-1). Vegetative trial was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb during 1997 and 1998. Following parameters were tested: degrees of damage of shoots, number of leaves, number of runners (stolons), yield of fresh biomass and dry matter of shoots and roots, and percentage of dry matter of shoots and roots. Tested cultivars showed significant differences of the level of damage (necrosis and decay of plants due to high NaCl concentration). The highest degree of damage was shown by ‘Elsanta’ in both trial years, followed by ‘Marmolada’ and ‘Miranda’ respectively. The analysis of the number of leaves and stolons confirmed the same trend. The yield of fresh biomass and dry matter of shoots and roots was significantly reduced with the application of NaCl. ‘Miranda’ was characterised by the highest fresh biomass and dry matter yield, followed by ‘Marmolada’ and ‘Elsanta’. Average decrease of fresh biomass yield of shoots in comparison to the control was 45, 33 and 22% in ‘Elsanta’, ‘Marmolada’ and ‘Miranda’. Dry matter yield of shoots decreased correspondingly for 34, 28 and 18%. Total dry matter yield (shoots + roots) of ‘Elsanta’ was significantly reduced at 0.5 g NaCl L-1 and of ‘Marmolada’ and ‘Miranda’ at 1.0 and 2.0 g L-1 respectively