Organic nutrient management affects growth and yield in strawberry plants (<i>Fragaria</i>× <i>ananasa</i> Duch.) <i>cv</i>. Flavia under Punjab conditions

Organic farming is an eco-friendly farming strategy involving balanced application of organic manures, biofertilizers and organic formulations to boost plant growth and yields. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of different organic sources of nutrients, alone or in combination, on the growth and yield attributes of the strawberry cultivar Flavia. The study comprised ten treatments and laid in a randomized block design (RBD). The results indicated that, compared with the control treatment (T10), all the treatments (T1 to T9) enhanced the growth and yield. The combination comprising 60% RDN – 30% through vermicompost (90 g/m2) + 30% through neem cake (45 g/m2) and biochar (800 g/m2) + Panchgavya + Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM), each @ 50 mL/plant (T9), resulted in a significant increase in vegetative growth and yield attributes. The vegetative parameters included highest plant height (6.7 and 13.33 cm), plant spread in East-West direction (EW ) (15.87 and 24.63 cm), plant spread in North-South (NS) (14.00 and 25.59 cm), number of trifoliate leaves (5.97 and 17.40) at 45 and 90 days after planting (DAP), respectively and stem girth (3.41 cm). Similarly, this treatment combination also contributed to the maximum chlorophyll index (57.90 SPAD), leaf area (48.76 cm2), along with highest number of fruits per plant (28.14), average berry weight (16.53 g), yield per plant (447.88 g) and yield efficiency (0.47 kg/cm2), compared to the other treatment combinations and the control. These results offer practical guidance for sustainable strawberry cultivation and lay the groundwork for future research on organic nutrient management in various crops.