Benzyladenine and Gibberellic Acid (GA3) Increase Runner Production in Day-neutral Strawberries

Abstract

Day-neutral strawberries produce runners less freely than June-bearing strawberries, which leads to reduced production in nursery fields. To alleviate this, a series of experiments were done to test how effectively benzyladenine (BA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) increased runner production. In greenhouse tests with the varieties `Tribute' and `Selva' and in field trials with `Selva', the combination of BA and GA3 consistently increased runner production in day-neutral strawberries, but not alone. Runner production increased linearly with BA dosage to 1800 ppm. GA3 produced very elongated internodes at high dosages, which led to fewer daughter plants in the field. Twelve-hundred ppm BA and 300 ppm GA3 are recommended as suitable concentrations to induce runnering both in the field and greenhouse.