Different K:Ca ratios affected fruit color and quality of strawberry ‘Selva’ in soilless system

High quality fruit production is the cornerstone of marketability. Optimum plant performance depends on the balanced and timely availability of mineral nutrients. In addition to element concentrations, the ratio of nutrient elements in solution plays a determinative role in growth, productivity, quality, and nutrients uptake. In this experiment, the effects of different Potassium:Calcium (K:Ca) ratios (1.6, 1.4, 1.2, 1, 0.85, and 0.6) in nutrient solution were studied on quality attributes of strawberry ‘Selva’. The highest and lowest leaf number and leaf area were observed in K:Ca 1.4 and 1, respectively. The highest fruit pH, electrical conductivity, total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio, vitamin C content, ellagic acid, and color were resulted in K:Ca (1.4) ratio. K:Ca (1.6) ratio produced the highest content of protein. Moreover, K:Ca (0.85) ratio was the most effective treatment on fruit firmness. The increased quality attributes were observed in high K:Ca ratios, hence low K:Ca ratio resulted in increased fruit firmness. In conclusion, nutrient solution containing K:Ca ratios between 1 and 1.6 were suitable for producing strawberry ‘Selva’. Taken together, K:Ca (1.4) was an appropriate ratio for producing strawberry ‘Selva’ in soilless culture with coconut fiber: perlite medium.