International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 21-28 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 21 Research Article Open Access Evaluation of Growth and Yield Characteristics of Strawberry (Fragraria ananassa) Varieties in Low Chilling Condition of Chitwan, Nepal Bishal Shrestha 1 , Kalyani Mishra Tripathi 1, Arjun Kumar Shrestha 1, Rajendra Gautam2 1 Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, 44209, Nepal 2 Samriddhi Agriculture Research and Development Pvt. Ltd., Lalitpur, 44700, Nepal Corresponding author: bshrestha@afu.edu.np International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.1 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0003 Received: 06 Nov., 2024 Accepted: 18 Jan., 2025 Published: 06 Feb., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Shrestha et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Shrestha B., Tripathi K.M., Shrestha A.K., and Gautam R., 2025, Evaluation of growth and yield characteristics of strawberry (Fragraria ananassa) varieties in low chilling condition of Chitwan, Nepal, International Journal of Horticulture, 15(1): 21-28 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0003) Abstract Strawberry is a fruit crop of significant economic and nutritional value. Despite its importance, there is limited research on the adaptability and performance of low-chilling strawberry varieties in subtropical climates. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield performance of eight strawberry varieties under low-chilling conditions in Chitwan, Nepal. Different varieties used in the study were ‘Florida Beauty, Ruby Gem, Sweet Sensation, Elyana, Florida Festival, Winter Dawn, Winter Star, and Nyho. The experiment was organized using an RCBD design with a single factor and four replications. Statistical analysis revealed that the Florida Festival exhibited the maximum plant height at all growth stages. In contrast, Nyho exhibited the minimum, reaching heights of 44.95 cm and 13.45 cm, respectively, at the final growth stage. Similarly, regarding the number of trifoliate leaves, the highest count was observed on Sweet Sensation (43.53) and the lowest in Nyho (18.73) during the total growth period. Winter Dawn had the highest number of flowers per plant (36.38) whereas Nyho had the lowest (13.33). The maximum number of fruits per plant was observed in Winter Dawn (25.98) and the minimum was observed in Nyho (8.56). Ruby Gem had the highest fruit set % (83.98) and Nyho had the lowest (64.45). In terms of yield per plant, Winter Dawn recorded the highest (713.23 gm) and the lowest was in Nyho (123.27 gm). Winter Dawn is recommended for commercial cultivation in subtropical regions of Nepal because of its better yield performance, providing a milestone for improving strawberry productivity under low-chilling conditions. Keywords Strawberry (Fragraria ananassa); Low chilling varieties; Fruit set; Trifoliate leaves; Yield 1 Introduction Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is a naturally occurring hybrid (Fragaria chelonesis × Fragaria virginiana) and a highly appreciated crop, grown in cooler regions worldwide for their delicious fruits, high nutrient value, various bioactive compounds, and medicinal attributes (Oszmiański and Wojdylo, 2009). Strawberries have a base chromosome number X=7 and are octoploid (2n=8x=56) which belongs to the family Rosaceae. Strawberry plants are perennial, herbaceous with fruits etaerio of achenes and edible parts as succulent receptacles. Strawberry fruits are popular among consumers because of their delicious blends of acid and sweetness, glamorous red color, volatiles, and phenols that give them pleasant flavors (Sharma and Yamdagni, 2000). They are also high in nutrition, a rich source of niacin, vitamin A, vitamin C, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron (Karakara and Dwivedi, 2002). Among different fruit crops grown, strawberries provide great benefits for small and large farmers in sub-tropical and temperate regions as they provide a quick return in a short time approximately six months (Biswas et al., 2009). The worldwide strawberry production is 8 885 028 tons per year with China, the United States of America, and Mexico contributing more than half of global strawberry production. The top five strawberry producers in the world are China which produces 3 221 557 tons, the United States which produces 1 021 490 tons, Mexico 861 337 tons, Turkey 486 705 tons and Egypt with the production of 460,245 tons (FAOSTAT, 2021). The area, production, and productivity of strawberries in Asia are 164 204 ha, 4 336 603 Mt, and 264,098 Mt/ha respectively (FAOSTAT, 2020). In Nepal, the cultivation of strawberries is limited to the Nuwakot district and its periphery covering approximately 55 ha of area with the production of around 495 Mt. The productivity of Nepal’s strawberry is very
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