PROPAGATION CAPACITY AND PLANT QUALITY OF MEXICAN AND FOREIGN STRAWBERRY VARIETIES

Abstract

This work was carried out in order to compare propagation capacity and quality of Mexican strawberry varieties (CP-Jacona and CP-Zamorana) and foreign commercial varieties (Festival and Albion). The four varieties were established in two nurseries located in Mi¬choacan, Mexico at different altitudes: Tanaquillo (1,700 m) and Zirahuen (2,228 m). Eight mother plants and eight daughter plants were sampled as replications. Number of crowns, number of runners and daughter plants per mother plant were the variables studied. Root starch content and fresh and dry plant weight were recorded of the daughter plants. The statistical analysis was performed using the stu¬dent’s t-test with 5 % significance level. The Mexican variety ‘Festival’ produced more runners, crowns and daughter plants in the nursery of Zirahuen, compared to other varieties; however, the starch content was higher in the Mexican varieties. In the nursery of Tanaquillo, both the ‘Festival’ and ‘CP-Jacona’ varieties showed higher number of daughter plants; however, the starch content in the ‘Festival’ variety was higher than in the ‘CP-Jacona’ variety. In the nursery of Zirahuen, the starch content of daughter plants was higher than in the nursery of Tanaquillo, but the number of daughter plants produced was notably higher at the nursery of Tanaquillo. At the nursery of Zirahuen, the ‘CP-Jacona’ variety had a lower capacity of runners and daughter plants production but these plants showed greater starch content but dry weight of daughter plants was similar to the USA varieties. At the nursery of Tanaquillo, the Mexican varieties were better in the production of daughter plants than the ‘Albion’ variety.