Efficacy and optimization of nutrient sources for quality production of strawberry ( <i>Fragaria</i>  ×  <i>ananassa</i> ) under vertical hydroponic system

The intensifying demand for sustainable and space-efficient horticultural systems has spotlighted hydroponic based vertical farming as a transformative solution for high-value crops such as strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa ). This study evaluates the influence of diverse nutrient treatments on strawberry cultivars cultivated under a closed-loop Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)-based vertical hydroponic system during November 2023 to February 2024 at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design in a 2 × 6 factorial arrangement, comprising the cultivars ‘Sweet Charlie’ and ‘Winter Dawn’, and six nutrient treatments i.e., control, organic inputs (jeevamrit 10%; homa ash 400 ppm), nano-based formulations (nano urea 2%; nano zinc 25 ppm), and Hoagland nutrient (4%), with three replications per treatment. Vegetative and reproductive growth as well as fruit quality attributes were systematically recorded to evaluate plant performance. Among all combinations, ‘Winter Dawn’ treated with homa ash (400 ppm) had the highest fruit yield (329.81 g plant −1 ), and was found to be significantly superior to other treatments. The enhanced efficacy of homa ash might be attributed to its bioactive nanoscale mineral composition which facilitates improved nutrient bioavailability and assimilation contributing substantially to the improved plant performance. These findings substantiate the potential of integrating traditional bio-organic amendments with advanced vertical hydroponic systems to optimize resource use efficiency and crop productivity.