**7. Organic nutrient composition and strawberry yield**

The growth and yield of strawberries require macro and micronutrients. Nutrients are provided from the soil as integral support. It is a reservoir for water and nutrient retention. It is a support system for plant growth and root development [36, 52]. Good management practice and strategy for strawberry growth and yield involve the application of compost with synthetic nutrients as a substrate [28, 36, 52]. According to findings, the high growth performance of strawberry cultivars was a result of better nutrient uptake [2, 43]. This nutrient includes Bio plus compost (cocopeat 68.86%, peat moss 11.00%, and zeolite 9.00%, and perlite 11.00% [10]. This is a standardized organic compound used for vegetative growth in some parts of Europe [36]. This nutrient composition is beneficial to microbial development. It supports soil physiochemical properties, the decomposition of organic matter, reduction of eutrophication, and nutrient loss. This is due to organic stipulation and the gradual release of nutrients from this compound into the soil [43]. The nutrient in this organic compound contains a stable proportion of nitrogen and carbon ratio. This however suggests the presence of microbe, humic substances, and high cation exchange capacity [6, 7, 47]. This organic compound plays a significant role in root formation [7, 36, 42]. It is a fiber rich substance. It enhances soil structure [11, 31, 50]. The structural efficiency and stability of this compound lower the impact of global warming and provide the soil with a good carbon sink [31, 33, 51]. In other words, the growth of strawberry cultivar without adequate (NPK) nutrients may have a detrimental effect on vegetative growth [28, 39, 43]. The quality such as sweetness, firmness, and anthocyanin found in strawberries is a result of the optimal application of NPK [28, 39, 43]. The application of this organic compound enhances elongation, carbohydrate, and sugar synthesis [28, 39, 43]. The growth of strawberries using bio plus compost with synthetic nutrients and other growth media was tried in a greenhouse experiment [28, 39, 43]. Results obtained indicated that a significant increase was recorded in the vegetative growth and yield of strawberries compare to other growth media used in the experiment [28, 39, 43]. The increasing growth trend observed in vegetative and reproductive growth reflects a positive correlation with fruit set and the number of fruit per plant [28, 39, 43].
