EFFECTS OF FRUIT NUMBERS AND PLANT STATUS ON FRUIT SIZE IN THE STRAWBERRY

Based on yield and fruit size data from a number of experiments implying effects of nitrogen nutrition, drip-irrigation, plant material and planting times, and including cultivars ''Dania'', ''Elsanta'', ''Bogota'' and ''Pandora'', distinct negative relationships between fruit size and fruit number per plant or fruit/leaf ratio, were established. Apart from that, fruit size may be affected by plant material and cropping year, the latter probably related to weather conditions. Achene spacing was influenced by year, and increased by irrigation under drought conditions. Relevance of factors influencing fruit size is discussed. It is concluded that an increase in the number of flower meristems (or a more vigorous vegetative growth) might aggravate internal competition, which in turn impairs flower development, resulting in a reduced flower quality and consequently smaller fruits.