Effect of in vitro propagation methods on field performance of two strawberry cultivars

Abstract

Strawberry cultivars, ‘Redcoat’ and ‘Veestar’, propagated by meristem culture (MC), callus culture (CC) and direct shoot regeneration (DR) from leaf disks were compared for their vegetative and reproductive characters with standard runner (SR) propagated plants under field conditions. In the planting year, in vitro propagated plants of both cultivars had the same number of leaves as SR plants, but in vitro propagated ‘Redcoat’ produced fewer stolons per plant than SR plants. However, in the following year, in vitro propagated mother plants of both cultivars had more leaves and higher runner production than SR mother plants. Flowering and fruiting behaviour of ‘Veestar’ was not appreciably influenced by in vitro propagation methods. However, in vitro propagated plants of ‘Redcoat’ flowered earlier and produced more flowers and fruits than SR plants, but still maintained normal berry weight. Among in vitro propagated plants, DR plants of ‘Redcoat’ were the earliest to flower, whereas MC plants produced more flowers and fruits. The field performance of the first daughter plants derived from the in vitro propagated plants was consistent with their respective mother plants. Leaf shape of both cultivars was not altered by in vitro propagation. Phenotypic abnormalities were mainly confined to occurrence of yellow leaf variants in MC and CC plants and occasional appearance of plants with irregular flowering and growth habit among CC plants.