Investigation of Row Spacing and Nutrient Solution Supply Method for High Plant Density Production of Strawberry Using Movable Bench

Abstract

To establish high plant density production of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) using a movable bench which circulates the planting bed by longitudinal and lateral movement horizontally, three experiments were conducted. Subirrigation combined with supplementary surface irrigation was suitable as the nutrient solution supply method of the movable bench in experiment 1. For row spacing on the movable bench, we found that 0.50 m was the most efficient for fruit yield per m 2 in experiment 2. In experiment 3, based on the results from experiment 1 and 2, we designed and installed an experimental movable bench system of 9.6 m × 10.8 m. Three strawberry cultivars ('Akihime', 'Mouikko', 'Tochiotome') were grown using the movable bench system for forcing culture from September 2008 to May 2009. Marketable fruit yields of strawberries grown using the movable bench (MB) were compared to those grown using a conventional elevated bench (CB). In 'Akihime', the marketable fruit yield per plant of CB was higher than that of MB. In 'Mouikko' and 'Tochiotome', there was no significant difference in marketable fruit yield per plant between MB and CB. These results show that twice the number of strawberry plants per m 2 at CB can be grown at MB. They also show that MB can produce almost twice as much fruit yield per m 2 as CB.Key Words：elevated bed, subirrigation, surface irrigation