Abstract
Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) developmental physiology is affected by temperature and photoperiod. Supplemental cold storage treatments of daughter plants of the reproductively day-neutral ‘Selva’, between their harvest from high-elevation propagation nurseries and fall transplant into production fields, stimulated vegetative vigor. In a 3-yr study, the increased vegetative vigor resulting from pretransplant supplemental cold storage treatments reduced susceptibility to infestation by and abundance of twospotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, during the subsequent fruit production season. Harvest date of daughter plants had an effect on the size of T urticae populations in the following production season if the plants failed to receive adequate vernalization in the field during winter. Medium versus large daughter-crown diameter at transplant produced no significant differences in susceptibility to spider mite infestation, or in the degree of vegetative vigor or yield. Proper manipulation of daughter-plant chilling treatment may enable strawberry producers to decrease plant susceptibility to T urticae infestation, produce optimum-sized plants, and maximize yield.
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