| Using a greenhouse based planting box cultivation system, this study used ‘Hongyan’ strawberry as the experimental material and selected the flowering and fruiting stages as the observation period. A total of 12 soil moisture treatments were designed to investigate the effects of varying moisture levels on plant growth, fruit yield, and fruit quality. Compared with 40% and 100% soil moisture, plants under 60% and 80% moisture conditions exhibited smaller stem diameters but larger plant height to root length ratios. Yield showed an “N” shaped response to increasing soil moisture: the highest yield was obtained when moisture was maintained at 80% during flowering and 70% during fruiting, while the lowest yield occurred under a continuous 40% moisture regime throughout both stages.Fruit size initially increased and then decreased as soil moisture rose, peaking at 80%. The fruiting stage was identified as the critical period during which soil moisture significantly influenced malformation and disease incidence, showing a strong positive linear correlation. The flowering stage was critical for ascorbic acid accumulation, whereas fruiting stage soil moisture had a greater effect on titratable acidity and the sugar–acid ratio. In contrast, the contents of soluble solids and total flavonoids were not significantly correlated with soil moisture.Considering both water use efficiency and economic yield, it is recommended to maintain slightly drier soil conditions (~60%) during flowering and apply moderate rehydration (~70%) during fruiting to achieve an optimal input–output ratio. If water consumption was not a limiting factor, maintaining slightly wetter conditions (~80%) throughout both stages could maximize yield. However, prolonged soil moisture deficiency (~40%) during these stages significantly reduces strawberry yield. This study provides a theoretical basis for precision irrigation in greenhouse strawberry cultivation and supports the goal of achieving a balance among water conservation, high yield, and fruit quality. |
