History and global production of strawberries
Strawberries are cultivated worldwide for their tasty fruit and processed products like jams, jellies, canned fruit, juice, preserved berries, and more. Strawberry is also used in pastries for the production and decoration of cakes.
The scientific name of the Strawberry is Fragaria sp., and it belongs to the Rosaceae family. There are more than 20 species and hybrids of the genus Fragaria. Historical records indicate that strawberries were noted in ancient Roman literature as early as the first century A.D.. By the 1300s, the French had begun cultivating wild strawberries. Today, the most widely grown commercial strawberry variety is the Garden Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), which originated in Europe in the 18th century.
The world's leading strawberry producer is China, with an annual production of approximately 3.4 million tons. The United States follows with 1.3 million tons, with Mexico, Turkey, Egypt and Spain also ranking among the top producers.
Plant information and varieties
Strawberry is an herbaceous, perennial, small plant that thrives in temperate climates. However, some varieties are grown as annuals in some warmer regions. Nevertheless, higher yields can be obtained when the strawberries are grown as perennials.
- Strawberry leaves are petiolated, with three leaflets, toothed edges, and slightly hairy undersides. They have a lifespan of 1- 3 months.
- Most strawberry flowers are hermaphroditic, containing both male and female reproductive parts, arranged in clusters, and are usually white and rarely red.
- Botanically speaking, strawberries are not berries. They are aggregate fruits, meaning the fruit is developed from several ovaries (achenes) in the same flower. The little seeds you see on the strawberries are the achenes.
- Although each berry has around 200 seeds on the outside skin, strawberry plants are usually reproduced by underground runners. Runners are annual stems that grow on axillary buds.
- Strawberry's root system varies depending on the plant's variety and the number of runners. Generally, a strawberry plant has fewer runners, the larger the root.
Key Strawberry Varieties
Within the last 20 years, more than 460 varieties of strawberries have been released on the market. Varieties like Camarosa, Chandler, Seascape, Selva, and Pajaro, released by the University of California, are responsible for 50% of global production. In contrast, others like Elsanta and Lusa are primarily cultivated in Northern Europe.
Strawberries can be divided into three main types. The 3 most common strawberry types are the following:
- June-Bearing Strawberries: June-bearing varieties are the most common of all three strawberry types. Depending on air temperatures, daylight length, and planting time, they generally produce one large harvest in late spring or early summer (June or early July for the northern hemisphere). The harvest of June-bearers lasts for about 10 days. The berries tend to be larger but less sweet compared to the other 2 types and can be sorted into three categories: early, mid-season, and late varieties. Some June-bearing varieties are Allstar, Annapolis, Surecrop, Guardian, Jewel, Earliglow, Kent, Winona, and Darselect. In general, June-bearing varieties are typically productive for 3-4 years, as they concentrate their energy on one large crop per season.
- Ever-Bearing Strawberries: Ever-bearing strawberries produce two to three harvests in one year. One harvest is done in the spring, another in mid-summer, and the other in the fall. Most of these varieties produce fewer runners than June-bearing because most energy is channeled to produce multiple strawberry harvests (fruits). Some of the most common varieties of this type are Ozark Beauty and Fort Laramie.
- Day-Neutral Strawberries: Most of the newly released strawberry varieties belong to this category. Some consider Day-Neutral varieties the same as the ever-bearing varieties, but they are different. Day-neutral varieties are developed from ever-bearing strawberries. All day-neutral strawberries are ever-bearing, but not the other way around. This strawberry-type is commonly cultivated in open fields and under low tunnels. They can produce flowers and fruits when the temperature is moderate (between 7.2 and 29.5 °C or 45°F and 85°F). The harvest can be performed by hand from mid-summer (July) until mid-autumn (October). The one big disadvantage is that day-neutral varieties produce the smallest fruits among the 3 strawberry types mentioned. Some common Day-Neutral strawberries are Tristar, Tribute, Seascape, Albion, Marionnet, and San Andreas. Two of the latest varieties of this type are UCD Finn and UCD Mojo. Finally it is important to mention that everbearing and day-neutral varieties, which produce smaller but continuous harvests, often decline in productivity after 2-3 years.
Both Day-Neutral and Ever-Bearing strawberries are a good choice for small gardens with limited space.
Except for the sensitivity in day length and the harvesting time, other important traits that the farmer should consider when selecting a strawberry variety to cultivate are the high flesh firmness combined with low susceptibility to pathogens that affect the post-harvest quality and transposability of the fruit.
As a result, when selecting a strawberry variety, the grower should consider the following factors:
- The ripening season (to maximize profit)
- The environmental conditions of the region
- The quality (e.g., size, taste, appearance) of the fruits produced
- The disease resistance of the variety based on local problems and field history
Generally, it is suggested to plant more than one variety (type) in a field to extend the production period and have a more resilient crop (secure income) in case of an extreme event (e.g., disease outbreak, early frost, etc.). The farmer should remember that each variety may perform differently under different soil types, environments, and fertilization programs. For example, pollen fertility and berry shape change in different climates. For this reason, it is best to test a new variety in a smaller plot to test its adaptability) before deciding to cultivate it in the whole field.
Using certified, high-quality, virus-free planting stock is essential for good plant establishment, growth, and yield. Finally, it is highly advised that strawberry growers pre-order the plants needed even 6 months before the actual planting date to ensure the availability of seedlings.
References
- https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/strawberryhistory.html
- https://gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu/fruit-crops/strawberries/strawberry-facts/
- https://sci-hub.se/10.17660/actahortic.2002.567.1
- https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/uc-davis-releases-two-new-strawberry-varieties
- https://extension.umn.edu/strawberry-farming/day-neutral-strawberries
- https://specialcollections.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collectionsguide/darrow/Darrow_TheStrawberry.pdf
- https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2184e/
- https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/HO-46.pdf
- https://specialcollections.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collectionsguide/darrow/Darrow_TheStrawberry.pdf
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/strawberry-production-by-country
Further reading
- 10 Health Benefits of Strawberries
- 15 Interesting facts about strawberries
- History, Global Production, and Key Varieties of Strawberries
- How to Grow Strawberries in Your Garden or Balcony
- Strawberry Soil Requirements, Cultivation Systems, and Plant Density
- How and Why to cultivate Strawberries in a Hydroponic system
- Strawberry Propagation Methods
- When and How to Irrigate Strawberries
- Heat Stress in Strawberry Production: Effects, Cultivar Variability, and Solutions
- How to Fertilize Strawberry Plants
- How to Prune Strawberries
- The Most Important Strawberry Pests & Diseases and Management Strategies
- Strawberry Yield, Harvest, and Storage