June-bearing strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa), 'Yachiyo' were divided into 2 groups. Plants of one group were allowed to bear fruits, whereas in those of the second group, the inflorescences were removed as they appeared. Plants were forced in a greenhouse kept at 25°/20°C (day/night). Plant samples were collected and analyzed at 0, 62 (end of harvest), and 124 days (end of experiment).
The number of leaves which unfolded during the first 62 days did not differ significantly between treatments; during the second 62 days, the nonbearing plants had 2 more unfolded leaves than the bearing ones. Petioles of both groups became equally long during the first period, but those of 5 successive leaves on fruiting plants which unfolded during the second period were shorter than those on nonbearing plants. Dry weight of white or light brown roots on bearing plants decreased during the first 62 days, but the root weights on nonbearing plants did not change. However, dry weights of black roots in both groups gradually increased; but the increase during the first growth period was larger in bearing than in the deflorated plants.
Although only 14 flowers were allowed to set and develop into fruit, they became the largest sink for assimilates, accumulating 31 % of the total dry plant weight by the end of harvest. Compared to nonbearing plants, bearing plants made less vegetative growth during the first 62 days, but their total dry weights were not significantly different. However, by the end of the experiment, the total dry weights of bearing plants were smaller than those of nonbearing ones.
Carbohydrate levels decreased rapidly during the first 62 days, irrespective of the treatments and plant parts, except for reducing sugar level in crown. At the end of harvest, soluble sugar level in vegetative organs did not differ between the treatments. But bearing plants accumulated less starch compared to nonbearing plants. This difference persisted to the end of the experiment.