STRAWBERRY FIELD CULTURE IN TRANSYLVANIA: PREPLANT, PLANTING AND POSTPLANTING CONSIDERATION ON BLACK PLASTIC MULCH

Abstract

Fragaria×ananassa, is mostly consumed fresh and in food processing due to its high nutritive value. In order to meet the increasing demand for its fruits, the production practices for this crop have to be improved and also expanded. A field study was carried out during 2017-2018 at Aghires Fabrici, a 35 km from Cluj Napoca city area, in the westhern part of Romania, to evaluate the growth of strawberries cv. Albion, Darselect and Vibrant in response to the climate. Small plants were transplanted late of September on raised-beds in a completely randomized block design and observed in May. The results revealed that Albion plants are less affected by the transplantation process with a 12% of dead plants, followed by Vibrand with 18% and Darselect with 32%. Also, the vegetative growth showed similarities between the three species, while the capacity of fruiting was double for Albion and Darselect comparing to Vibrant