Evaluating berries of everbearing garden strawberry vaieties for product quality and biochemical parameters in the conditions of Primorky kray

Relevance. The garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier) is a widespread berry crop distinguished by its fast vegetative growth, early bearing age, and high yield and plasticity. Today everbearing (remontant) strawberry varieties gain in popularity due to their long fruiting period, and high yield and berry quality. Annually new foreign varieties appear on the Russian market. For this reason, it is important to study foreign garden strawberry varieties of different ecological and geographical origin and identify those of them that are adaptable to agro-climatic conditions of a given region.   The research goal was to determine the biochemical and customer qualities of the garden strawberry varieties introduced in Primorsky kray and to select varieties with economically important traits for further breeding and production.   Research methods. The research was carried out in the nursery of primary variety testing at FSBSI “FSC of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaiki”. The following garden strawberry varieties of foreign breeding origin were used as the research object: Сabrillo (USA), Albion (USA), Florentina (Netherlands), Murano (Italy), and Bravura (Netherlands). The studied varieties were day-neutral and everbearing. Variety Elizaveta 2 was used as the control (Russian breeding origin; admitted to use in all regions of the Russian Federation). The following parameters were evaluated: total yield, average berry weight, maximum berry weight, berry size, the yield of marketable berries, and the content of dry matter, reduced sugars, and vitamin C. The accumulation of anthocyanins in berries was determined by a rapid assessment using a color scale. Records were made and scientific observations were conducted according to “Program and methods of variety testing of fruit, berry, and nut crops” (1999).   Results. Based on the results of the research on the economically important traits of the everbearing day-neutral strawberry varieties introduced in Primorsky kray, the following varieties were selected: Cabrillo for yield (263.3 g/plant, control – 82.8 g/plant), Murano for the yield of marketable berries (81.3 %), and Bravura (15.5 g) and Florentina (15.2 g) for berry size. The highest content of dry matter was accumulated in berries of variety Аlbion (9.87%). The highest content of reduced sugars was found in varieties Cabrillo (7.16%), Florentina (7.09 %), and Аlbion (7.09 %); of vitamin C – in Florentina (60.30 mg/100 g), and of anthocyanins – in Murano (50 mg/100 g). Murano was established to be the most promising variety under the conditions of Primorky kray for the complex of its traits.