Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1950

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Horticulture

Abstract

Strawberries are one of the few raw fruit crops that can be produced commercially in the North Great plains area. The severe climatic conditions of this region limit the survival and productivity of most marketable fruits and some bush fruits. The strawberry, by virtue of its prostrate growth habit and inherent hardiness, can be protected by mulching, a practice not applicable with equal success to other fruit plants. The quality of the strawberry fruit produced in this area is equal to that produced in other areas, thus placing it in favorable position to compete for the late market. Besides this commercial advantage, the strawberry is also the most popular home grown fruit. The possibilities of strawberry production makes additional information on physiology and husbandry very desirable. Winter injury of strawberry plants with the resultant reduction in quality and yield of the fruit, is the greatest limiting factor in strawberry production in this area. Previous work at the South Dakota Station, and elsewhere, has established the importance of mulching to reduce winter injury. For maximum protection and maintenance of the highest degree of hardiness in the plants throughout freezing period, the mulch should be applied at the time the plants have reached the peak of hardening condition. Thus it is the purpose of this study to find the relationship between winter hardiness of the strawberry plants and the sugar content in order to provide a means by which the degree of winter hardiness of the plants can be measured. This will enable the growers to better determine the best time to apply mulch that would give maximum protection to the plants and ultimately result in high yield and good quality fruit.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Strawberries
Plants, Effect of temperature on

Description

Includes bibliographical references (pages 63-64)

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

66

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/

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