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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160598

Title: STRAWBERRY TRANSPLANT PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCE IN ANNUAL PLASTICULTURE PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Author
item Takeda, Fumiomi
item HOKANSON, S.C. - UNIV OF MN, ST. PAUL
item SWARTZ, H.J. - UNIV OF MD, COLLEGE PARK
item PERKINS-VEAZIE, P. - USDA-ARS, LANE, OK

Submitted to: Strawberry International Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2004
Publication Date: 9/3/2004
Citation: Takeda, F., Hokanson, S., Swartz, H., Perkins-Veazie, P. 2004. Strawberry transplant production and performance in annual plasticulture production system. Strawberry International Symposium Proceedings. P. 21.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tissue culture-propagated 'Chandler' plants were grown in a protected environment to produce stolons. July plantlets were immediately stuck in cell packs and placed under mist sprinklers, or cold stored at 2 ºC for 30 days and then plugged. Among the July transplants, some were kept in the greenhouse until field planting in mid-September and others were moved to a cold room in early August for 5 weeks Plantlet size and position on the stolon affected rooting and quality of transplants. Cold-stored plantlets developed fewer roots than plantlets plugged fresh in July or August. In the field, % plant survival was reduced by cold treatment. Transplants that were produced from plantlets harvested in July and cold-stored developed more stolons than transplants from July- and August-harvested plantlets that were not exposed to cold treatments. All transplants from plantlets harvested in July and propagated without cold treatment bloomed by November. Fruit production ranged from 521 to 703 g per plant during a 4-week harvest in the spring. 'Chandler' plants from plantlets that weighed 10 g produced only 10% greater yield than those that weighed < 1.0 g. Plants generated from plantlets plugged in July produced 26% more fruit than plants plugged in August. Greenhouse soilless systems can be used to grow 'Chandler' mother plants for generating plantlets and transplants for annual plasticulture in colder climates. 'Chandler' plants produced in July can yield a late fall crop under high tunnels and more fruit in the spring than August-plugged transplants.