Strawberry
Sow in October, harvest around March
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 6 irrigations short
- Doesn't suit: Too hot in february
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 6 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 460 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 200 mm it can use in a normal year (130 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 11–24 °C on average, and survives 6–28 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 34 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
- Nov 31 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 30 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 31 °C / 22 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 33 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
- Mar 36 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
Days in October get hotter than it likes. Time sowing so it flowers before then.
Soil
Soil for Strawberry: 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: iron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
Likes pH 6.0–6.8.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 23 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
No mandi or support price for this crop yet.
How to make it work
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of phosphorus Your soil is likely short of phosphorus.
Add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.