Analyse van de bodemvruchtbaarheid volgens de proefplekkenmethode bij een meerjarig tuinbouwgewas, de aardbei op zandgrond

The study had two purposes: to test the feasibility of the stratified randomplot method in a perennial market-garden crop; to gain a better insight into the ecological requirements of the strawberry, particularly to improve the use of fertilizers. Already known soil factors could be more closely put onto a quantitative basis for their effect on yield, for instance winter and summer watertable, humus content, pH, P, K and Mg status of the top soil and thickness of humic layer. Farmyard manure was clearly beneficial. The harmfulness of diseases came out more clearly than expected. Wind shelter was necessary to obtain a good crop. Close study of the crop and soil can show previously unknown factors, as here with Cu for the strawberry.

But in the main it cannot be said that the plot method was a complete success for a perennial crop. Many influences could hardly be distinguished. In particular it was not possible to distinguish correlative soil complexes representing soil types which could be described from the profile and which could be of use in forecasting yield.