In soil cultivation systems, split application of N is recommended for what is a relatively shallow-rooted crop, commonly grown on light, leaching prone soils. Nitrogen is better utilized when applied by fertigation compared to broadcast application. A consistent low N rate applied by fertigation is much more effective than broadcasting N in one dose.
Nitrogen Nutrition for Higher Strawberry Yields
Nitrogen is essential for plant growth being one of the main building blocks of proteins. It is important for biomass production and fruit production, maximizing photosynthetic assimilation leading to high strawberry yields.
During periods of rapid growth, leaves that are short of nitrogen remain small and turn pale green or yellow. However, too much nitrogen can lead to an excessive leaf area which is out of balance with the rest of the plant, and also produces too many runners and insufficient flowers. Strawberries are quite sensitive to excessive rates of N and so nitrogen supply needs to be closely monitored and balanced with other nutrients. The total rate of N required will vary with variety and growing system.
Timing of N is also critical and programs need to be tailored to deliver enough leaf growth and strong fruit set without creating issues during fruit fill and at harvest. In field grown strawberries, this will mean focusing upon nitrogen applications in the fall and also early in the spring - to strengthen and build the plant and improve fruit production.
These N applications must be balanced with the expected release of N from any organic matter added to the soil in preparation for planting the strawberries.
Increase Yield with Fall & Spring Nitrogen
Uptake figures confirm that around 3-3.5kg of nitrogen per ton of fruit is required
Nitrogen uptake increases during the vegetative stage and reaches a peak just before the fruit starts maturing.
Perennial systems can utilize N reserves held in the crown and roots, over the 2-3 years of production as a result of remobilization in the spring. Thus, annual production systems commonly require and consequently receive higher N rates than perennial systems. Relying on fall applications only will not maximize production in spring. Spring N applications are essential to maximize yield, but they cannot compensate sufficiently if fall application rates were too low.
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