Abstract
Optimizing profitability is a challenge that strawberry farmers must face in order to remain competitive. Within this framework, plant density can play a central role. The aim of this two-year study was to investigate how planting density can induce variations in plant growth and yield performances in an alpine mountain strawberry cultivation (Martell Valley, South Tyrol, Italy), and consequently quantify the farm profit. Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta were planted in soil on raised beds and subjected to five different planting density levels (30,000 and 45,000 as large spacing; 60,000 as middle spacing; 90,000 and 100,000 plants ha−1 as narrow spacing, corresponding to a plant spacing of 28, 19, 14, 9, and 8.5 cm, respectively). Our findings indicate that the aboveground biomass in plants subjected to low planting density was significantly increased by +50% (end of first year) and even doubled in the second year in comparison with plants in high planting density. Those results were related to higher leaf photosynthetic rate (+12%), and the number of crowns and flower trusses per plant (+40% both) (p < 0.05). The low yield (about 300 g plant−1) observed in the high planting density regime was attributable to smaller fruit size during the first cropping year and to both a reduced number of flowers per plant and fruit size during the second year (p < 0.05). Although the highest yield (more than 400 g plant−1) was obtained with wide plant spacing, the greatest yield per hectare was achieved with high planting densities (28 t ha−1 in comparison with 17 t ha−1 with low plant density level). However, the farm profit must take into account the costs (especially related to the plant material and harvesting costs) that are higher under the high planting density compared with the other density regimes. Indeed, the maximum farm profit was reached with a density of 45,000 plants ha−1 which corresponded to EUR 22,579 ha−1 (over 2 years). Regarding fruit quality, fruits coming from the low plant density level showed a significantly higher color index (+15% more red color) than fruits from high plant density (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that a middle planting density can be a fair compromise in terms of plant growth, yield, and farm profit.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Low planting density increased aboveground biomass of strawberry by 50% at the end of the first year compared with high planting density.
- Taxon
- strawberry
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassae0 - Material
- Elsantae0
- Treatment
- low planting densitye1
- Outcome
- aboveground biomasse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- +50%e1
- Comparator
- high planting densitye1
- Setting
- Martell Valley, South Tyrol, Italye2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“the aboveground biomass in plants subjected to low planting density was significantly increased by +50% (end of first year) and even doubled in the second year in comparison with plants in high planting density”
e2“alpine mountain strawberry cultivation (Martell Valley, South Tyrol, Italy)”
Claim · model-written summary
Low planting density doubled aboveground biomass of strawberry in the second year compared with high planting density.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- low planting densitye1
- Outcome
- aboveground biomasse1
- Direction
- doublede1
- Comparator
- high planting densitye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“the aboveground biomass in plants subjected to low planting density was significantly increased by +50% (end of first year) and even doubled in the second year in comparison with plants in high planting density”
Claim · model-written summary
Low planting density was associated with a higher leaf photosynthetic rate of strawberry (+12%).
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- low planting densitye2
- Outcome
- leaf photosynthetic ratee1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- +12%e1
- Comparator
- high planting densitye2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“Those results were related to higher leaf photosynthetic rate (+12%)”
e2“the aboveground biomass in plants subjected to low planting density was significantly increased by +50% (end of first year) and even doubled in the second year in comparison with plants in high planting density”
Claim · model-written summary
Low planting density was associated with an increase of about 40% in crowns and flower trusses per strawberry plant.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- low planting densitye2
- Outcome
- the number of crowns and flower trusses per plante1
- Direction
- increaseinferrede1
- Value
- +40%e1
- Comparator
- high planting densitye2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“the number of crowns and flower trusses per plant (+40% both)”
e2“the aboveground biomass in plants subjected to low planting density was significantly increased by +50% (end of first year) and even doubled in the second year in comparison with plants in high planting density”
Claim · model-written summary
The strawberry yield per plant at high planting density was low, about 300 g per plant.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- high planting density regimee1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Value
- about 300 g plant−1e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“The low yield (about 300 g plant−1) observed in the high planting density regime”
Claim · model-written summary
The low yield at high planting density was attributed to smaller fruit size during the first cropping year.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Qualifier
- smaller fruit size during the first cropping yeare2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“The low yield (about 300 g plant−1) observed in the high planting density regime”
e2“was attributable to smaller fruit size during the first cropping year”
Claim · model-written summary
At high planting density the number of flowers per plant and fruit size were reduced during the second year.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- high planting density regimee1
- Outcome
- number of flowers per plant and fruit sizee2
- Direction
- reducede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“The low yield (about 300 g plant−1) observed in the high planting density regime”
e2“a reduced number of flowers per plant and fruit size during the second year”
Claim · model-written summary
The greatest yield per hectare, 28 t ha−1, was achieved with high planting densities, compared with 17 t ha−1 at low plant density.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- high planting densitiese1
- Outcome
- yield per hectaree1
- Direction
- greateste1
- Value
- 28 t ha−1e1
- Comparator
- low plant density levele1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“the greatest yield per hectare was achieved with high planting densities (28 t ha−1 in comparison with 17 t ha−1 with low plant density level)”
Claim · model-written summary
The highest yield per plant, more than 400 g, was obtained with wide plant spacing.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- wide plant spacinge1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- higheste1
- Value
- more than 400 g plant−1e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“Although the highest yield (more than 400 g plant−1) was obtained with wide plant spacing”
Claim · model-written summary
The maximum farm profit, EUR 22,579 per hectare over two years, was reached at a density of 45,000 plants per hectare.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- density of 45,000 plants ha−1e1
- Outcome
- farm profite1
- Direction
- maximume1
- Value
- EUR 22,579 ha−1e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“the maximum farm profit was reached with a density of 45,000 plants ha−1 which corresponded to EUR 22,579 ha−1 (over 2 years)”
Claim · model-written summary
Strawberry fruits from low planting density had a significantly higher color index (+15%) than fruits from high planting density.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- low plant density levele1
- Outcome
- color indexe1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- +15%e1
- Comparator
- high plant densitye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“fruits coming from the low plant density level showed a significantly higher color index (+15% more red color) than fruits from high plant density”
Claim · model-written summary
A middle planting density can be a fair compromise for strawberry plant growth, yield and farm profit.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Outcome
- plant growth, yield, and farm profite1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Frigo strawberry plants cv. Elsanta”
e1“a middle planting density can be a fair compromise in terms of plant growth, yield, and farm profit”
The same questions in other papers
density · quality: postharvest · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- no effect
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →density · growth · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Positive and negative results
8 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- positive
7 papers more in this group
See all 11 papers →density · yield · Fragaria x ananassa (strawberry)Positive and negative results
19 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- no effect
- negative
20 papers more in this group
See all 24 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.