Evaluation of low temperature hardiness of strawberry plants under field and controlled conditions
1993 ◽
Vol 73
(4)
◽
pp. 1123-1125
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Keyword(s):
When acclimated strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ’Redcoat’) from the field were placed in a programmable freezer, mother strawberry crowns were as hardy or hardier than daughter crowns when frozen to −11 °C. However, under field conditions, daughter plants expressed consistently greater hardiness than mother plants. Mulching had no effect on daughter plant survival, whereas enhanced mother plant survival was observed. Field-growth habit of mother crowns may be the important factor for consistent winter survival under prairie conditions. A simple scoring system was developed to predict survival of strawberry plants. Key words. Fragaria × ananassa Duch., strawberry, crowns, low temperature hardiness