The influence of hydrothermal conditions on the strawberries flower buds formation in the Middle Urals

The article presents the results of studies of the level of heat and moisture supply during the formation of strawberries flower buds in the Middle Urals. The object of study is varieties zoned in the Volga-Vyatka region of the Russian Federation: early ripening – Zarya, Darenka, middle – Festivalnaya, Geyser. The productivity of garden strawberries is a complex economic and biological trait, consisting of several components. One of which is the number of flower stalks on the bush. The peduncle is the second type of shoot in strawberries, differentiated from a flower bud that forms in the axil of the upper leaf. In different cultivation regions, the period of bud formation begins at different times: in warmer climates – in September, early October, in cold climates – earlier, in August. In the Middle Urals, buds are also laid in August. Their number depends on the genotype of the strawberry plant and the hydrothermal conditions during the planting period. Garden strawberries are moderately demanding of heat, but require moisture appropriate to the culture. It reacts strongly to both a lack of moisture and its excess. Determining the optimal values of temperature and moisture supply (HMS) during the period of flower bud formation is one of the solutions to increase the yield of a given crop. The studies used data from the State Customs Committee of August and the average number of peduncles per bush in the first fruiting of zoned varieties of early and medium ripening for 1972–2022. In years with deficient precipitation, no additional irrigation was carried out. The results of the research revealed that the maximum number of peduncles of 3.95 pcs./bush is formed at a HTC of 1.0–1.3 (inverse average correlation, r – –0.5714). In arid conditions (HTC < 0.4), the number of peduncles is low – 0.73 pcs./bush and increases as moisture conditions improve (HTC 0.4–1.0) to 2.46 pcs./bush. When the HTC is higher than 1.3, their number decreases to 2.18 pcs./bush.