Title: New development with cultural management related to flowering Author
Submitted to: Proceedings of the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2013
Publication Date: March 26, 2013
Citation: Takeda, F. 2013. New development with cultural management related to flowering. Proceedings of the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association. p. 129-132. Technical Abstract: Control of flowering is important in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) production. Plants have evolved mechanisms to alter their growth and development in response to environmental signals. The transition from vegetative to reproductive development in strawberries is regulated by a number of environmental factors (Darrow, 1966). Conditioning treatments for plug plants such as exposure to specific high and low temperatures, or low temperatures and short-day (SD) photoperiod (Heide, 1977) have been described for hastening flowering in SD strawberry transplants. Lacking an environment conducive to off-season fruit production, such as the South Coast region of California, strawberry growers in the mid-Atlantic coast region are using plasticulture, high tunnels, day-neutral cultivars, and conditioned transplants to improve early- and late-season strawberry yields (Takeda, 2008). Recently, Takeda and co-workers described an alternative method for promoting early flowering in SD cultivars (‘Chandler’, ‘Carmine’ and ‘Strawberry Festival’) which does require exposure to cool temperatures or SD conditions to flower. More than 80 percent of transplants of these cultivars were induced to flower in fall if runner tips were plugged into 50-cell trays in early July and maintained in the greenhouse until late August (Takeda, 2008; Takeda and Newell, 2006a; Takeda and Newell, 2006b). In a subsequent study, Takeda et al. (2008) showed that placement of low-intensity red light emitting diode (LED) lamp (maximum wavelength at 662 nm) 1 cm from the crown of strawberry transplants significantly decreased the number of plants that flowered in the fall and delayed flowering. This suggested that regulations of late season flowering through spectral quality could be achieved prior to transplanting.