Garden strawberry was cultivated in the spring of 2009 with fortified runners; it was a multiannual classical culture in the field of the Red Gauntlet variety, which matures in late May, a variety with good resistance to common leaf spot (Mycosphaerella fragariae), powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) and grey mould (Botrytis cinerea). Land preparation for cultivation consisted in fertilisation with complex NPK fertilisers using a rate of 700 kg /ha on a plot area of 0.05 ha. Maintenance works were applied in accordance with the cultivation technology recommended in this crop. Fruit harvesting was done every 2-3 days, during the ripening period, when the fruit pulp was still firm, and the fruit were 90% red in colour. The biofertilisers we used, Bionat plus and Bionex, were applied as two treatments together with recommended pesticides, as follows: T1 – upon full leaf appearance T2 – upon inflorescence appearance (white bud) The variety we used, Red Gauntlet, is an English variety suited for both field culture and greenhouse culture. The plant is medium vigorous, and it has a guided port. It was commercialised starting with 1957. The plant develops a suitable number of long runners. The variety is resistant to drought, frost and main diseases, particularly powdery mildew. It is among the best-yielding garden strawberry varieties – over 25 t/ha. The leaves are large, green and shiny, with rounded, curled median foliole. The fruit have resistant peduncles, which makes them difficult to detach from the plant. The fruit weigh 10-12 g, are short, conical, sometimes broadened and ribbed and with a slightly blunt tip. They are dark red with a rosy pulp. The achenes are small and superficially fixed in the pulp. The pulp is consistent, acidic-sweet, enough flavoured, and enough succulent. The inflorescence is hermaphroditic and it contains, on the average, 7 flowers. The petals are white and have the same length as the sepals.

Bionat Plus, Bionex, biofertilisers, strawberry, treatments

Presentation: oral