Efficient microorganisms increases the yield of four strawberry cultivars

Efficient microorganisms (EM) represent a social biotechnology that requires research for validation. Thus, we investigated whether the association between EM and strawberry cultivars in substrate interferes with their agronomic performance. We studied the combination of four cultivars (‘Albion’, ‘Camino Real’, ‘Monterey’, and ‘San Andreas’) in the absence and presence of EM composed of eight bacteria and three fungi, in a randomized block design, with four repetitions. Fruit production and quality attributes were assessed. Regardless of the cultivar, plants treated with EM had greater production potential. Multivariate analysis revealed the formation of two contrasting groups for ‘Camino Real’ and ‘San Andreas’ in relation to EM. ‘San Andreas’ produced the most strawberries and, together with ‘Albion’, had the highest fruit yield. Fruits from ‘Albion’ and ‘Camino Real’ had the highest total flavonoid content. ‘Albion’ and ‘Monterey’ stood out for having the highest sugar content in the fruit. The tastiest strawberries were produced by ‘Monterey’. In conclusion, plants treated with EM throughout the cycle have the highest fruit production and produce strawberries with the highest average fresh mass. Thus, the use of this biotechnological tool is viable in horticulture as part of the transition to more sustainable systems that value different genetic resources.