‘Camino Real’ Strawberry Physiology and Yield as Influenced by Irrigation Volume and Plant Spacing

Strawberry production in Texas currently spans 162 to 182 ha, with a high percentage of growers in central and northeast Texas. As a high-value specialty crop, strawberries offer Texas growers profitable diversification opportunities, particularly through local and direct market sales. However, water scarcity exacerbated by periods of extended drought remains a major constraint, particularly in the Texas High Plains. Therefore, efficient water management and optimal plant spacing are critical to improve water use efficiency (WUE) and sustaining strawberry yield. This 2-year field study (2020–21 and 2021–22) evaluated the influence of irrigation volume and plant spacing on physiological response, yield, fruit quality, and WUE of ‘Camino Real’ strawberry plants grown under semi-arid conditions. Field-grown ‘Camino Real’ strawberry plants were exposed to three irrigation levels: 100% (control), 80%, and 60% of traditional grower application volumes. Post-experiment, applied irrigation volumes were converted to reference evapotranspiration (ET o ) and crop evapotranspiration (ET c ) demand estimates. In addition, plants were established at three different spacings: 23 cm, 31 cm, and 38 cm. Physiological measurements revealed strawberries maintained photosynthetic activity and other leaf gas exchange parameters under moderate water stress. In the 2020–21 growing season, high seasonal rainfall masked irrigation and spacing effects, resulting in no yield differences among spacing treatments and greatest yields under the 60% irrigation regime. In contrast, during the 2021–22 growing season (when rainfall was near normal levels), wider spacings (31 cm and 38 cm) produced greatest yields, while irrigation effects were evident with greatest yields under the 100% and 80% irrigation treatments. These findings provide planting and irrigation recommendations for strawberry producers growing ‘Camino Real’ within semi-arid climates similar to the Texas High Plains.