Submitted to: Extension Publications
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2016
Publication Date: 9/1/2016
Citation: Zurn, J.D., Salinas, N.R., Piaskowski, J.L., Denoyes, B., Peace, C., Bassil, N.V. 2016. DNA tests for strawberry: perpetual flowering - Bx215. Extension Publications. https://www.rosbreed.org/breeding/strawberry; 1:1-2.

Interpretive Summary: Day neutral strawberries that continue to flower throughout the growing season have great economic value to the fresh market industry. A wild plant from the Virginia strawberry species was the source of this trait in a large number of strawberry varieties. We describe a DNA test that can predict this trait in strawberry cultivars when in the young seedling stage.

Technical Abstract: Perpetual flowering strawberries have great economic value to the fresh market industry. Floral initiation in strawberry is largely determined by photoperiod, temperature, and genetics. Commercially grown strawberries are generally classified as remontant (repeated or perpetual flowering, day neutral) or short day types, determined by their photoperiod requirement for flower initiation. Perpetual flowering in cultivars that originated from the “California” source, a Fragaria virginiana subsp. glauca strawberry accession, is largely controlled by theFaPFRU locus. This source was collected in the Wasatch mountains of Utah in the 1950s, and the remontancy attribute was incorporated into several cultivars including ‘Capitola’, ‘Tribute’, and ‘Seascape’. The Bx215 marker is located close to the FaPFRU locus and can be used for marker assisted breeding.