Project Number: 5310-61000-013-09
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Feb 01, 2007
End Date: Jan 31, 2008

Objective:
To determine the relative importance of gypsum amendment and specific ion toxicity as compared to total salinity (osmotic effect) on the yield response and fruit quality of two strawberry cultivars.

Approach:
Two strawberry varieties, Camarosa and Ventana will be planted in outdoor sand tanks in Riverside, CA irrigated with waters of different salinities and ion composition using a trickle irrigation system. We will examine the response to three osmotic levels and four ion compositions varying both the cation and ion composition. We will determine fresh fruit yields for each treatment and compare to yields from controls. We will also perform fruit and leaf ion analysis and relate these to yield response and treatment water compositions. We will conduct an additional experiment on the yield response of strawberry to addition of gypsum to 4 NaCl salinity treatments, and three replications. The experiment will be conducted in outdoor containers. Documents reimbursable with CA Strawberry Commission. Log 33500.