The effect of in vitro cytokinin concentration on the fruiting and growth of conventionally propagated strawberry runner progeny

SummaryStrawberry meristem-tips excised from runners of cvs Cambridge Favourite, Cambridge Vigour, Hapil and Redgauntlet were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing benzylamino-purine at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 5:0 μmol/l. Weaned micropropagules were planted in runner beds as mother plants for conventional runner propagation. Runner progeny from each treatment were planted in the field and their fruiting and growth responses compared with conventionally propagated control plants. Results indicate little “carry over” effect from the MS media. With cytokinin contents between 0.5 and 5.0 μmol/l, the subsequent cropping and vegetative performance of runner progeny showed few significant interactions between the varieties studied and the in vitro culture conditions imposed. These interactions, which were restricted to the maiden year, were minimal and would have had little effect on the economic or commercial acceptability of the crop. In both years of this study the major effects were varietal and not...