Up to 20% of irrigated arable land in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide is salt-affected. The problem of salt-affected soils is also present in the Croatian Mediterranean coastal region where seawater intrudes through porous media into calcareous aquifers, mixes with freshwater and salinizes both ground and surface waters. Climatic conditions enable continuous growing of several crops throughout a year, but increasing demand for irrigation water forces the growers to utilize water of poor quality. In 2005, the effect of rising salinity levels (control, 4, 6, and 8 dS m-1) on strawberry vegetative growth and fruit yield was studied in a greenhouse experiment. Salinity treatments had a negative effect on total fresh fruit yield (29-59%), total number of fruits (24-45%), fruit size, as well as on the number of runners (23-86%) and the length of the longest runner (1.3-2.6 times). Furthermore, NaCl salinity stress accelerated leaf senescence and reduced the strawberry growing period by 12-22 days.

salinity; strawberry; electrical conductivity

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia