This study was conducted to compare the growth characteristics and fruit yield performance of ‘Seolhyang’ strawberry plants grown under nutrient solutions with different compositions. The experiment was conducted from September 20, 2025, to April ...
This study was conducted to compare the growth characteristics and fruit yield performance of ‘Seolhyang’ strawberry plants grown under nutrient solutions with different compositions. The experiment was conducted from September 20, 2025, to April 5, 2026, in a single-span greenhouse at the Scientific Farming Demonstration Field of the Yeoncheon County Agricultural Technology Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. The experiment consisted of two beds per treatment with two replications. One hundred strawberry transplants were planted in each bed, resulting in a total of 200 plants per treatment. Beds 1 and 2 were connected to Tank1 (nutrient solution composition I), whereas Beds 3 and 4 were connected to Tank2 (nutrient solution composition II). Nutrient solutions with different compositions (I and II) were supplied while maintaining the same pH and electrical conductivity (EC) conditions. The inorganic ion concentrations of the supplied and drainage solutions were analyzed at 177 days after transplanting (177 DAT). Growth characteristics were measured on November 15 and December 15, 2025, and March 15, 2026, while fruit yield was recorded throughout the entire harvest period.
Regarding plant growth, plant height was significantly greater in Tank2 at 18.80 cm than in Tank1 at 17.75 cm. In contrast, crown diameter was significantly greater in Tank1 at 20.93 mm than in Tank2 at 19.87 mm. Belowground fresh weight was also significantly greater in Tank1 at 149 g than in Tank2 at 109 g. Accordingly, the T/R ratio was significantly higher in Tank2 at 0.70 than in Tank1 at 0.52.
Based on the complete harvest survey, the total yield per treatment, consisting of two beds with a cultivation area of 7.8 m² and 200 plants, was 11,143 g/200 plants in Tank1 and 10,449 g/200 plants in Tank2. Yield per plant was 55.7 g/plant in Tank1 and 52.2 g/plant in Tank2, while yield per unit area was 1.43 and 1.34 kg/m², respectively. The number of marketable fruits was similar between Tank1 and Tank2, at 529 and 528 fruits, respectively. However, the total number of fruits was greater in Tank2, with 651 fruits, than in Tank1, with 597 fruits. The average fruit weight was 18.7 g/fruit in Tank1 and 16.1 g/fruit in Tank2, while the malformed fruit rate was 11.4% in Tank1 and 18.9% in Tank2. In the sampling plots established within each bed, total yield, number of marketable fruits, total number of fruits, average fruit weight, and soluble solids content were significantly higher in Tank1, whereas no significant difference in the malformed fruit rate was observed between the treatments.
Taken together, these results suggest that differences in nutrient solution composition significantly affected the root fresh weight, the T/R ratio, fruit number, and fruit weight. In particular, the Tank1 treatment produced fewer but heavier fruits, whereas the Tank2 treatment showed the opposite trend. Because fruit number and fruit weight are known to be negatively correlated, nutrient solution composition may have influenced the source–sink relationship. These results appear to be associated with the relatively more stable cation composition maintained within an appropriate range in the root zone under Tank1 than under Tank2. Further detailed studies are needed.