CHARACTERIZATION OF RUNNERS PRODUCTION IN DIFFERENT CULTIVARS OF STRAWBERRY IN NURSERY

The trial has been carried out for two consecutive years: 2005 and 2006. The cultivars used for the test have been 11 short day cultivar (‘Antea’, ‘Arosa’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Clery’, ‘Elsanta’, ‘Gariguette’, ‘Madeleine^®Civmad’, ‘Marmolada^®Onebor’, ‘Naiad^®Civl35’, ‘Raurica^®Civka’, ‘Thetis’) and one day neutral one (‘Elsinore^®Civri30’). The aim was to detect on each cultivar, the orientation of the runners, the number of daughter plants (production), the average length of and the quality of the daughter plants (classified by size of the crown). The results showed differences in growth, in quality of daughter plants, and in the main orientation of the runner filaments. Orientation of the cultivars were grouped into: Y (three main directions of growth), X (four directions) and those grown in a circle O. The collected data on runners orientation will possibly allow to improve the planting density of individual mother plants, with the aim to increasing the quality and quantity of the plants daughters.