Effect of late spring frosts on the growth and development of garden strawberry

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research for 2022–2023, as well as the analysis of the effect of prolonged negative late spring temperatures on garden strawberry on May 8-12, 2023. The research was aimed at evaluating garden strawberry varieties for a complex of economically valuable characteristics after exposure to prolonged late spring frosts on May 8–12, 2023. Objects of study included 14 garden strawberry varieties of foreign selection: NF 421, ‘Festivalnaya romashka’, ‘Florida Festival’, ‘Verona’, ‘Dely’, ‘Joli’, ‘Senga Sengana’ (k), ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Syria’, ‘Cabot’, ‘Elianni’, ‘Malvina’ and 2 varieties selected by the Institute: ‘Zvezdochka’ (k), ‘Zhanna’. The plants were planted on May 6, 2022, the survival rate accounted for 100%. The research was conducted in the Research Institute of Horticulture and Medicinal Plants “Zhigulyovskie sady” (Samara, Russia) on the collection variety plot in accordance with the generally accepted program and methodology of varietal study of fruit, berry and nut crops. The analysis of weather conditions for 2022–2023 was performed using the data of the Volga Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (UGMS), with additional data obtained from the temperature and humidity control system located on the test plot in Malaya Tsarevshchina, Krasnoyarsky District, Samara Oblast. The varieties ‘Verona’, ‘Zvezdochka’ (k), ‘Cabot’, ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Festivalnaya Romashka’, and ‘Malvina’ demonstrated the highest resistance to late spring frosts according to the complex of characteristics. The main part of the varieties had 28-33% damage to flowers and buds. The highest damage figure was revealed in the variety of the average maturity period NF 421 and the early variety ‘Zvezdochka’ (k). The late variety ‘Malvina’ did not suffer from frost.The lowest degree of fruit deformation was observed in the varieties ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Zvezdochka’ (k), and ‘Malvina’. The greatest degree of freezing after exposure to low temperatures on May 8-12 was observed in the varieties ‘Dely’, ‘Joli’, ‘Florida Festival’ and ‘Elianni’. The best adaptive capacity according to the results of overall plant condition for the period 2022-2023 was shown by the varieties ‘Verona’, ‘Zvezdochka’ (k), ‘Senga Sengana’ (k), ‘Cabot’, ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Syria’. The highest average berry weight was recorded in NF 421 (19.5 g/bush). The highest productivity was observed in later ripening varieties – ‘Malvina’ (261.4 g/bush) and ‘Cabot’ (241.0 g/ bush), as well as in the control variety ‘Seng Sengana’ (k) (197.1 g/bush). The lowest indicators were reported in ‘Dely’ (50.1 g/bush) and ‘Florida Festival’ (29.0 g/bush). The genotype was revealed to influence the resistance to low late spring temperatures and recovery ability of plants after late spring frosts.