The inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), increasing the rhizospheric influence, might provide higher levels of bioactive compounds. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the influence of the AMF inoculation on the physicochemical components of fruit’s quality in field. Strawberry fruits from cultivars Camarosa, Aromas, Camino Real, Monterey, Portola, San Andreas and Albion in 2016, and Camarosa, Camino Real, Monterey and Albion in 2017 were either inoculated or non-inoculated with AMF. The analyzed physicochemical components of fruit’s quality were ascorbic acid, titrated acidity, pH, soluble solids, soluble solids/titrated acidity ratio, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and firmness. The inoculation with AMF on strawberry plants in field improved the fruit’s physicochemical attributes, increasing pH, soluble solids content, soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio and phenolic compounds content in both cultivation years (2016-2017). The inoculation of AMF has improved the characteristics of post-harvest quality in strawberry fruits.

The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a strategy to increase the absorption of nutrients by plants, stimulate the plant defense system, and promote the synthesis of bioactive compounds. In addition, AMF can reduce production costs and improve the agricultural and environmental sustainability of farming systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of AMF on production and physiological parameters of strawberry cultivars. The cultivars Camarosa, Aromas, Camino Real, Monterrey, Portola, San Andreas, and Albion were evaluated in the year 2016, and Camarosa, Camino Real, Monterrey, and Albion were analyzed in the year 2017. These cultivars were grown either with or without AMF. The analyzed production variables were the total number of fruits and fruit yield and weight. Gas exchange and leaf area were also determined in 2017. Fruit yield in treated and control plants was assessed in the two study years. AMF inoculation augmented the leaf area in all cultivars except for Monterrey, photosynthetic performance in the cultivars Camarosa and Camino Real, and the transpiration rate in the cultivar Camarosa. These results indicate that AMF improve agronomic and physiological characteristics of strawberry cultivars.

Strawberries are grown worldwide, and the fruit is known for its flavor, pleasant aroma, and the presence of important nutraceutical compounds. Under temperate conditions, the species is octaploid and presents a complex inheritance. Exploring polyploidy in varietal crosses is the main alternative to developing genotypes of high-temperature regions; thus, breeding programs must evaluate the interaction based on parameters, such as the heritability, stability, easy propagation, and adaptability to different soil and climate variations. To estimate the stability and temporal adaptability of pre-selected triple hybrids of day-neutral strawberries, thirty-six experimental genotypes, three commercial genotypes (‘Albion,’ ‘Monterey,’ and ‘Dover’), and four single hybrids (‘RVFS07,’ ‘RVFS06,’ ‘RVDA11,’ and ‘RVCA16’) were evaluated in a protected cultivation from August to February under tropical climate conditions (southern hemisphere) using the mixed linear model (MLM). The genotypes RVFS07M-34, RVFS07M-24, RCDA11M-04, RVFS07M-154, RVFS07M-36, RVFS07M-33, RVFS07M-80, RVFS07M-10, RVDA11M-21, RVDA11M-13, and RVFS06AL-132 had the highest values of total fruit mass, adaptability, and stability. The mean predicted genotypic values of the selected genotypes was 138% higher than the mean of the controls. Therefore, these genotypes have the potential to be released as cultivars.