Strawberry Production with Different Mulches and Wetted Areas

The use of mulch contributes to the reduction of water consumption and weed infestation in strawberry cultivation. Recycled paper, being biodegradable, has great potential to replace plastics. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the water consumption and agronomic performance of strawberry subjected to different wetted areas and mulches. The wet areas tested were 40% (WA40) and 70% (WA70) imposed by a drip irrigation system. The different types of mulch were: white polyethylene (WHP), black polyethylene (BLP), recycled paper (REP) and no mulch (NM). BLP, REP and WHP mulches promoted the same weed control. The number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit yield, and water productivity did not differ for the factors wetted area and types of mulch. Higher fruit mass and diameter were found in the WA40 treatment, while the mulches favored only fruit mass. Thus, fruit yield showed no difference, and only water consumption differed between the wet areas and between the types of mulch. Strawberry water consumption was higher in WA70. In relation to fruit waste, it was found that the WHP and BLP mulches provided higher values than REP and NM. Thus, the recycled paper, combined with a wet area of 40%, is recommended as a mulch in strawberry production.