The results of the storage life of the strawberries grown under various types of soil management were presented in the paper.

The purpose of our research was to evaluate the effect of mulching types on the change of quality indicators of the strawberries during the storage.

According to the methodical recommendation as to the storage of fruits, vegetables and grapes the experiments were carried out in the refrigerator of the department of the technology of storing and processing of fruits and vegetables at Uman national university of horticulture (Ukraine) in 2011-2013; the berries of such varieties as Festivalnaiaromashka (control), Ducat, Honey, grown on various types of soil management – without mulching (control), mulching of the rows with black polyethylene and black agro-cloth, were used in the experiment.

As the result of the experiments made, it was found out that strawberries accumulated: 9.5 - 10.6 of dry soluble substances, 5.6 – 9.5% of sugars, 0.75 – 1.1% of organic acids, 55.1 – 99.8 mg/100g of ascorbic acid; it depended on the variety and cultivation condition.

High content of dry soluble substances was typical for the strawberries grown without mulching – 10-10.6%; this indicator for the strawberries grown on the mulched soil (black film) was lower by 0.5-1.6%.

The content of organic acids in strawberries ranged from 0.75 to 1.06%. Their higher content was recorded in the strawberries grown on soil mulch in the rows with black polyethylene – 0.89-1.06%.

The strawberries grown without mulching had high vitamin value - 57.1–99.8 mg/100g, whereas the use of agro cloth resulted in its decrease by 2-27.1%.

During the storage as a result of berry respiration and selective gas permeability of polyethylene, a modified gas atmosphere with higher carbon dioxide content and lower oxygen content is formed.

When strawberries were stored in this atmosphere, we observed natural mass loss – from 0.9 to 2.2%. The highest mass loss was typical for the berries grown on row mulching with black polyethylene – 2.0–2.2%, depending on the variety; the lowest one - from 0.9 to 1.6 – for control. Strawberries of Festivalnaiaromashka variety were characterized with higher mass loss compared with others – from 1.6 to 2.1%.

The loss of organic substances occurs together with mass loss in the process of storage. Within 11 days the content of dry soluble substances in the berries decreased by 4.5-11.3% as compared with their content before the storage. The lowest losses of dry soluble substances were recorded for the strawberries grown without mulching – 0.2-1.6%, the losses were higher by 1-3% in the berries grown with the use of mulching.

Within 11 days of the storage sugar content in the berries decreased by 2.3-35.5%. Among the varieties studied, strawberries of Honey variety showed the highest losses of sugars – 2.3-35.5%, those of Festivalnaiaromaska variety were 2.5-25.3%.

In the process of the storage the decrease of organic acid content in the strawberries by 1.3 – 35.8% was observed.

The ascorbic acid content was decreased by 16.7-42.1% during the storage. The trials proved that the use of mulching during strawberry cultivation enhanced ascorbic acid losses during the storage by 9.2-20.5%.

The use of mulching while growing strawberries enhances the accumulation of smaller amount of dry soluble substances, sugars and ascorbic acid, but berries have higher acidity. The strawberries, grown with soil mulching, had the increased loss of mass and organic substances and lower output of marketable produce during the storage.

Key words: strawberry, mulching, storage, chemical constituents.