Strawberry

Abstract

The cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa Duch., is a versatile crop in terms of its adaptability to various locations and cultural systems. Breeding efforts started in the early 1800s and continue today in numerous public and private programs. Among these programs and in germplasm repositories, there is still considerable variation available in traits of economic interest. Currently, the biggest opportunity in strawberry breeding is the development of day-neutral cultivars for cool summer climates outside of California while the biggest challenge facing strawberry breeders may be the development of cultivars that can produce fruit with consistent size, appearance, and flavor over an extended period of time. To accomplish this challenge, breeders need to stay focused on these traits as their primary screens. Despite the complexity of the octoploid strawberry genome, new genomics knowledge and biotechnologies make increasing contributions to strawberry breeding.