CULTURE OF MICROPROPAGATED STRAWBERRY PLANTS IN NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE

Strawberry plants cv.
Cambridge Favourite were meristematically propagated in Adams medium and rooted using phloroglucinol in Boxus medium.
The rooted propagules were transferred to a growing room and established in the NFT system.
The use of a peat-perlite support was superior to rockwool cubes or direct insertion of the plants in the nutrient film.
High himidity for ca. 10 days prevented dessication during establishment.

Rooting of the plants in situ in the NFT system was assessed and proved a feasible alternative to in vitro rooting.
Both incorporation of phloroglucinol (0.25 mg l^-1) in the solution for 3 weeks and treating the unrooted propagule with a commercial rooting compound prior to insertion proved satisfactory.
Tipburn caused by localised calcium deficiency was a severe problem.
This was overcome by reducing the specific conductivity of the NFT solution and increasing the humidity at night by covering the plants with polythene until anthesis.

Nutrient Film Technique and Substrates, XXI IHC

D.W. Doolan, M.J. Hennerty, J.V. Morgan

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1983.133.10