Selection in seedling populations and clonal progenies of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.)

Abstract

To determine the efficiency of selection in seedling populations and their vegetative progenies the relationship between characters of seedlings, of clones and between seedlings and clones were computed by the use of phenotypic correlations. 17 seedling populations with 1,625 seedlings and 231 clones from 8 parents were chosen for the selection of clones and the evaluation of plant and yield characters. The vigour of the seedling at the beginning of its development was not decisive for its further productivity. The yield of the strawberry seedling could be estimated by the expression of vegetative characters in autumn of the planting year and in spring of the year of harvest. For clonal plants the correlations between yield components of two cropping years were compared. On the base of correlation coefficients large differences between seedlings and clonal plants in their phenotypic characters could be found. Against this background, an efficient selection for yield and yield components has to be carried out in the clonal progeny.