Raipur Farmers' Remarkable Strawberry Experiment: Open Field Cultivation Without Mulching or Drip

• A farmer in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, is successfully cultivating strawberries in an open field without mulching sheets or drip irrigation.
• The experiment, led by Vivek Goswami, aims to assess the suitability of Surguja's climate for strawberries before large-scale expansion.
• Despite challenges like weeds, plants show good growth, flowering, and fruiting, attributed to organic fertilizers like cow dung manure.
• Mulching was intentionally avoided to allow new saplings to be prepared from runners during the rainy season, exploring dual benefits.
• With guidance from the Potato Research Station, the farmer plans to expand cultivation to one hectare next year if market standards are met.