Strawberry cultivation
Introduction
Strawberry is a very juicy and delicious fruit. The strawberry tree looks a lot like a thankuni or potato tree, but the leaves are larger and wider. It spreads the seedlings around through the runner just like the thankuni tree. It is possible to cultivate it by cutting the mature runner coming out from the side and planting it separately. However, its seeds are currently available. It is possible to produce several hundred seedlings a year by breeding from a strawberry tree through a runner. Strawberry is the fruit of the winter main country so it is very difficult to keep this tree alive in Bangladesh from April to September due to high temperature. Strawberry fruits are green when raw and bright red when ripe. The fruit looks a lot like litchi. Strawberries are rich in various life-saving nutrients. It contains vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, selenium, calcium, polyphenols, alagic acid, ferralic acid, viric acid, quercetin, xanthomycin and phytosterol. Among them, allergic acid has been found to have anti-cancer, anti-aging and anti-STI properties. Rajshahi University Professor of Botany. M. Manzur Hossain tried to cultivate a short day length variety of strawberry from Japan in Bangladesh in 1997. But he first sees that this variety is not being bred through runners. Even the size of the fruit is getting much smaller. Which is not suitable for commercial cultivation. He was later able to invent a variety through research in the last few years in the tissue culture lab located at the university. Which can be cultivated commercially in the climate of Bangladesh. The name of his variety is ST-3. If planted in the third week of October, it will yield from the first week of December to March, he said. He further said that it is possible to get 250-300 grams of yield from each tree in those four months. The average weight of each strawberry is 10 to 15 grams. Professor. M. Manzur Hossain has been successfully cultivating it at Akafuji Nursery in Bhadra, Padma residential area of Rajshahi metropolis for the last 3 years. This year he is supplying saplings to different districts of the country through Bangladesh Strawberry Association. Professor Manzoor further said that it has been proved that strawberry cultivation is possible in all soils of all areas of Bangladesh. However, sandy loam soil is best. Land with bright sunlight, open space and drainage system should be selected. Soil acidity should be between 6.0 and 7.5. Therefore, before cultivating strawberries, the acidity or alkalinity of the soil and the nutrient level are tested and good results are obtained. The daytime temperature is 20-26 সে C to get high quality and yield. And the night temperature is 12-16C. If it is good. The presence of at least 8 hours of sunlight a day is best for growing strawberries. When the length of the day is less than 14 hours, the strawberry flowers start coming. The temperature is 36 C. If more than this, the strawberry tree dies.
As a preliminary, it has been found that cultivating strawberries on 1 bigha of land costs around Rs. In this case, the price of 6,000 saplings required for 1 bigha of land has been fixed at Tk 120,000 and the price of 1,500 kg of strawberries produced has been fixed at Tk 250 to 300 per kg. Strawberries imported from abroad are currently available in various supermarkets in Dhaka at a price of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per kg.
Strawberry cultivation area
Strawberries are good in winter countries. In hot countries, trees do not want to bear fruit easily. Due to the efforts of researchers, some varieties are being cultivated experimentally in this country. It has been possible to grow strawberries in some northern districts of the country. Strawberries can be grown especially in areas where winter is long and prolonged. It can be cultivated in Panchagarh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and even in Pabna and Natore.
Suitable soil
Strawberries can be grown by applying a lot of organic manure in sandy loam and soil. Strawberries cannot be grown in lands where water accumulates.
Seedlings made
Strawberry seedlings are still not easily available. Especially the desired seedlings must be collected from any nursery. Strawberry trees are shrubs and creepers. From the base of the tree, several tall vines grow on the ground. The roots grow from the girth of the vine in contact with the soil. New seedlings will be formed by cutting the root git and putting it in the ground. Half of the soil is mixed with half of the dung manure and filled in a polybag and the vine with rooted roots is buried. In this case it is possible to make 18-20 saplings from one tree.
Land ready
The land should be cultivated well and cleaned to a depth of 30 cm. Since the roots of the strawberry tree are on the soil side, the soil should be shaken and the prescribed amount of fertilizer should be mixed well in the soil.
Planting seedlings
Strawberry seedlings can be planted from mid-October to mid-December. However, November is the best month for planting strawberry seedlings. After preparing the land, the distance from line to line should be 50 cm and strawberry seedlings should be planted at a distance of 30 cm in each row. If it rains, you don't have to remove excess water from the field, otherwise the trees will rot.
Fertilizer application and irrigation
Strawberries need a lot of organic fertilizer. For this 50-60 kg urea fertilizer, 60 kg TSP fertilizer and 60 kg MOP fertilizer should be applied per acre. These fertilizers have to be divided into two equal parts one month before flowering and the other part during flowering. Irrigation should be given after 2-3 days when the fruits start to catch.
Other care
If you want to catch flowers in strawberry tree, you have to take special care. After planting, a lot of vines like runner or kachu vines start coming out from its roots. These cover the land. The yield is not good. Straw or polythene should be spread at the base of the tree so that these vines come out less. After 30 cm, the polythene sheet has to be inserted into the strawberry bush by making a round hole. Hormone can be sprayed on the leaves of the tree to get higher yield and early fruit.
Collecting and selling fruits
When the raw fruit starts to turn yellow or reddish then it is understood that the fruit has started to ripen. When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns red. However, the fruit does not need to be completely red for sale. In that case the fruits should be picked while they are hard. And the fruit should be picked, including the boot. Later it has to be marketed in paper packets. Fruits remain good for 10-12 days after picking. On an average, each tree bears 150-200 grams of fruit. The fruit is new in this country so the risk is also high. However, it can be said that strawberry cultivation will one day become a profitable business by applying intellect and intellect.
Strawberry cultivation area
Strawberries are good in winter countries. Trees grow in hot countries but do not want to bear fruit easily. But due to the efforts of researchers, some varieties are being cultivated experimentally in this country. It has been possible to grow strawberries in some northern districts of the country. Strawberries can be grown especially in areas where winter is long and prolonged. It can be cultivated in Panchagarh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and even in Pabna and Natore.
Suitable soil
Strawberries can be grown by applying a lot of organic manure in sandy loam and soil. Strawberries cannot be grown in lands where water accumulates.
Seedlings made
Strawberry seedlings are still not easily available. Especially the desired seedlings must be collected from any nursery. Strawberry trees are shrubs and creepers. From the base of the tree, several tall vines grow on the ground. The roots grow from the girth of the vine in contact with the soil. New seedlings will be formed by cutting the rooted git and putting it in the ground. Half of the soil is mixed with half of the dung manure and filled in a polybag and the vine with rooted git is buried. In this case it is possible to make 18-20 saplings from one tree.
Land ready
The land should be cultivated well and cleaned to a depth of 30 cm. Since the roots of the strawberry tree are on the soil side, the soil should be shaken and the prescribed amount of fertilizer should be mixed well in the soil.
Planting seedlings
Strawberry seedlings can be planted from mid-October to mid-December. However, November is the best month for planting strawberry seedlings. After preparing the land, the distance from line to line should be 50 cm and strawberry seedlings should be planted at a distance of 30 cm in each row. If it rains, you don't have to remove excess water from the field, otherwise the trees will rot.
Fertilizer application and irrigation
Strawberries need a lot of organic fertilizer. For this 50-60 kg urea fertilizer, 60 kg TSP fertilizer and 60 kg MOP fertilizer should be applied per acre. These fertilizers have to be divided into two equal parts one month before flowering and the other part during flowering. Irrigation should be given after 2-3 days when the fruits start to catch.
Strawberries need a lot of organic fertilizer. For this 50-60 kg urea fertilizer, 60 kg TSP fertilizer and 60 kg MOP fertilizer should be applied per acre. These fertilizers have to be divided into two equal parts one month before flowering and the other part during flowering. Irrigation should be given after 2-3 days when the fruits start to catch.
Other care
If you want to catch flowers in strawberry tree, you have to take special care. After planting, a lot of vines like runner or kachu vines start coming out from its roots. These cover the land. The yield is not good. In order to make these vines come out less, straw or polythene has to be spread at the base of the tree. After 30 cm, the polythene sheet has to be inserted into the strawberry bush by making a round hole. Hormone can be sprayed on the leaves of the tree to get higher yield and early fruit.
Collect and sell fruits
When the raw fruit starts to turn yellow or reddish then it is understood that the fruit has started to ripen. When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns red. However, the fruit does not need to be completely red for sale. In that case the fruits should be picked while they are hard. And the fruit should be picked, including the boot. Later it has to be marketed in paper packets. Fruits remain good for 10-12 days after picking. On an average, each tree bears 150-200 grams of fruit. The fruit is new in this country so the risk is also high. However, it can be said that strawberry cultivation will one day become a profitable business by applying intellect and intellect.