COMPARISON OF COST AND PROFITABILITY OF ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL STRAWBERRY SEEDLING GROWING MEDIA

WOS: 000407960800014In this study, it was aimed to compare organic and conventional strawberry seedling cultivation media in terms of cost and profitability. This study was carried out in the Apricot Research Institute in Malatya province, Turkey. Albion and Sweet Charlie varieties were used in the experiment. The production costs of Albion and Sweet Charlie strawberry varieties were calculated in different growing media. Calculation of the production costs of the fresh plug strawberry seedlings was done in two steps. First, the production costs of strawberry runner plants were calculated, then the production costs of fresh plug strawberry seedlings were found. According to the results of the research, the cost of a runner plant was found to be the highest for the Albian Biodecal application, while the lowest was detected for Sweet Charlie Control application. According to different applications, the cost of strawberry branch plant was determined as 0.376, 0.341, 0.273, and 0.235 TL/unit for Albian Biodecal, Albian Control, Sweet Charlie Biodecal and Sweet Charlie Control applications, respectively(1 USD=3.02 TL in 2016, average). When the production costs of Albion and Sweet Charlie strawberry seedling obtained from Biodecal application were compared with the sale price, it can be said that production cost was lower than sale price for all the organic growing media (except for IT (Imported Turf) growing medium for Albion strawberry seedling obtained from Biodecal application), but in the conventional growing media, production costs was found to be higher than the sale price. Similar results have been found for the strawberry seedlings obtained from the control application. When organic applications were compared with each other, it was determined that KP (1:1 ratio local turf: perlite) was the growing medium which had the lowest production cost for Albion strawberry seedling obtained from Biodecal application, OE (1:1 ratio local turf: perlite + ecoflora providing 50 mg kg(-1) potassium) for Sweet Charlie strawberry seedling obtained from Biodecal application, KP for Albion strawberry seedling obtained from control application and OE for Sweet Charlie strawberry seedling obtained from control application