Gheith Nassour
General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research-
Lattakia Research Center
Tishreen University, Faculty of Agriculture
 2006

Abstract

This research was carried out at Lattakia Research Center during 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 growing seasons in unheated greenhouse (8 x 50 m). Half of its square was allocated for growing strawberries in organic mediums, and the other was for growing them in vertical pipes, and the strawberry variety Oso Grande was used in all treatments.
The results indicated that organic culture of strawberries in ground treatments had increased the total weight of plant at the rate of 50.8% compared with fertilization treatment. Also, leaves weight, length and number have increased which caused an increase of leaves square at the rate of 138.5% compared with fertilization treatment.
The roots weight and length and the crown weight and number have also increased in comparison with control and fertilization treatment.
The organic culture caused an increase of dry material in the berries at the rate of 28.5% in comparison with fertilization treatment, and this is the case of total sugars and ascorbic acid.
Nitrate content in organic berries have decreased at the rate of 24.7 and 72.7% in comparison with fertilization treatment, while nitrite content decreased at the rate of 40 %.  This is the goal of organic culture in getting fruits without fertilizers residues.
But the yield per plant and the number of berries per plant were better in fertilization treatment compared with organic mediums.
The parameters of growth and yield related to leaves, roots, berries and crowns in vertical pipes were lower than those in ground treatments, due to the available volume of medium for every plant in the treatment.
Nevetheless, the yield per m² in the vertical pipes was better than ground treatments at the rates of 20 -47% according to the pipe diameter, because of the great number of plants per square unit.
Gray mold and soft mold of berries were not found in the treatments of vertical pipes because there is no contact between the berries and the soil or the black mulch.