Irrigation Regime and Mulch Color Interactions Shape Fruit Quality and Nutraceutical Profiles of Strawberry Under Mediterranean Conditions

Water scarcity presents a major constraint to sustainable strawberry production in Mediterranean environments, highlighting the need for cultivation strategies that enhance water productivity without diminishing fruit quality. This study investigated the interactive effects of two irrigation regimes full irrigation (IR100) and deficit irrigation (IR50) and a range of colored plastic mulches (gray, black, blue, red, brown, green, yellow, and pink) on fruit quality, biochemical composition, and secondary metabolite accumulation in strawberry grown under high‐tunnel conditions. Fruit quality attributes, sugars, organic acids, antioxidant activity, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were comprehensively assessed. Deficit irrigation (IR50) significantly increased the accumulation of total phenolics, flavonoids, sugars, and antioxidant activity, whereas full irrigation promoted greater anthocyanin stability. Mulch color strongly influenced these responses, with gray, brown, yellow, and black mulches consistently promoting higher concentrations of health‐related compounds under IR50. Overall, the findings demonstrate that combining deficit irrigation with appropriate colored plastic mulches can enhance strawberry fruit quality and nutraceutical value while reducing irrigation water use, providing a practical and sustainable strategy for strawberry cultivation in semiarid Mediterranean regions.