Frequency and Rate of Fertilization with Trickle Irrigation for Strawberries1

Strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa Dutch.) response to trickle irrigation was compared with overhead and no irrigation. Fertilizer rates were 94-55-104 to 202-118-223 kg/ha N-P-K with 0, 50, and 100% of the N and K applied with trickle irrigation. The remaining fertilizer for trickle and all for overhead and non-irrigated treatments was applied preplant. Fruit yields were increased 34% with overhead irrigation and 37% with trickle irrigation above that for non-irrigated treatments. With 0 and 50% of the N and K applied in daily or weekly increments with trickle irrigation, fruit yields were 2 and 20% greater than with overhead irrigation, 30 and 58% greater than with no irrigation, respectively. The N levels of leaf tissue samples were not influenced by treatment. Leaf K levels were significantly higher with trickle irrigation than with overhead irrigation or check treatments. Soil value for total soluble salts, K and NO 3 were significantly lower with trickle irrigation than with overhead or no irrigation treatments.