Obtaining of experimental strawberry hybrids

• Grant number: 19/26813-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2020
• End date: February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: André Ricardo Zeist
• Grantee: Julia Roberta Sanches de Pieri
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil depends almost entirely on imported commercial strawberry cultivars, which results in higher costs for producers and less adaptation of genotypes to Brazilian cultivation conditions. To reverse this scenario, a greater focus is needed on strawberry improvement in Brazil, otherwise, the country will remain dependent on imported cultivars, which requires the payment of royalties. Based on this situation, the West Paulista Center for Olericulture and Fruit Studies at the University of Oeste Paulista has proposed to conduct a program of breeding of the strawberry, with a view to the future possibility of launching cultivars. Thus, the proposal aims to select experimental day-neutral strawberry hybrids, obtained from the crossing of cultivars 'Albion' and 'San Andreas' with 'Pra Estiva' based on the agronomic characteristics of the fruits, aiming at obtaining plants adapted to Brazil's tropical climate conditions. For this, crosses will be performed and seedling obtained, with the subsequent selection of the most promising experimental hybrids. It is believed that the development and selection of strawberry hybrids are the way to generate cultivars that meet national demand and better adapted to the cultivation conditions of Brazil's tropical climate. (AU)