Abstract
The optimal photoperiod and light quality for runner induction in strawberries ‘Sulhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’ were investigated. Two experiments were carried out in a semi-closed walk-in growth chamber with 25/15 °C day/night temperatures and a light intensity of 250 μmol·m–2·s–1photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) provided from white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In the first experiment, plants were treated with a photoperiod of either 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, or 22 h In the second experiment, a total of 4 h of night interruption (NI) light at an intensity of 70 μmol·m–2·s–1PPFD provided from either red, blue, green, white, or far-red LED in addition to 11 h short day (SD). The results showed that both ‘Sulhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’ produced runners when a photoperiod was longer than 16 h, and the number of runners induced positively correlated with the length of photoperiod. However, the plant growth, contents of chlorophyll, sugar and starch, and Fv/Fo decreased in a 22 h photoperiod. All qualities of the NI light, especially red light, significantly increased the number of runners and daughter plants induced per plant as compared with those in the SD treatment in both cultivars. In a conclusion, a photoperiod between 16 and 20 h and NI light, especially red NI light, can be used for quality runner induction in both ‘Sulhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’.
Highlights
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an herbaceous perennial crop species in the Rosaceae family
When strawberry plants were transferred from long day (LD) to short day (SD) conditions, the production of new runners ceased after 3 weeks [3]
Light is essential for strawberry runner induction
Summary
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an herbaceous perennial crop species in the Rosaceae family. Runner development is intimately connected with flowering. They are oppositely influenced by the same environmental signal in most cases. In June-bearing wild-type strawberries (Fragaria vesca), SD and low temperatures induce flowering and inhibit runners [5,6]. LD and high temperatures inhibit flowering and induce runners. The number of induced runners increases in high-temperature conditions, while the photoperiodic condition gave various effects [7]. Many everbearing genotypes of F. vesca do not produce runners in natural environmental conditions. Photoperiod and temperature have different impacts on runner induction in various strawberry genotypes. The critical photoperiod for runner induction still remains unknown
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