Effect of Chitosan Application on Growth, Yield and Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cv. Winter Dawn

Strawberry is a sweet and fragrant fruit that is popular all over the world. It belongs to the genus Fragaria and is known for its bright red colour, juicy texture, and characteristic aroma. The present investigation was laid out on the experimental site of Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology & Sciences, Naini, Prayagraj (UP), during 2022-2023. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments with different combinations of RDF and chitosan replicated thrice with 4 plants per replication in Randomized Block Design. Observations were recorded for vegetative growth, yield and quality of strawberry variety Winter Dawn.The statistical analysis indicated significant variation among the different treatments in terms of growth parameters. The treatment labeled as T10 (RDF + Chitosan spray 4g/L at 45, 90, and 120 DAP) demonstrated the highest values for vegetative parameters such as the number of leaves (26.50), plant height (18.10 cm), and plant spread in both east-west and north-south directions (26.15). Similarly, T10 also exhibited the maximum values for fruit characteristics, including fruit length (5.63 cm), fruit diameter (3.95 cm), and fruit weight (30.23 g). In terms of yield, T10 recorded the highest yield (341.25 g) among all the treatments, followed by T9 (RDF + Chitosan spray 3g/L at 45, 90, and 120 DAP).