CURRENT STATUS OF STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION AND RESEARCH IN CHINA

China has become one of the largest countries in strawberry production and export in the world. The total production and plantings all over China from the Strawberry Association of the Chinese Society for Horticultural Science was more than 2,000,000 t and 113,989 ha, respectively in 2010-2011. There are several production systems including greenhouses, large and small plastic tunnels, and open field. The main culture systems are greenhouses and open fields in north China. Large plastic tunnels and open fields are more common in the middle of China. Small plastic tunnels have been adopted in south China. Main commercial cultivars are ‘Toyonoka’, ‘Sweet Charlie’, ‘Benihoppe’, ‘Allstar’, ‘Darselect’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Akihime’ and ‘Honeye’. Since 1990, public strawberry breeding programs have been conducted in several important districts/provinces, such as Beijing, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Liaoning and Hebei. There was a markedly increase in the export volume of frozen strawberries from China from 2001 to 2005, resulting in about 80,000 t export volume. Control of diseases typically relies upon the use of disease free transplants and preventative applications of protectant fungicides as well as non-chemical controls whenever applicable. Animal manures, poultry litter and composted materials are common practices of soil amendments used in strawberry fields to improve soil quality, organic matter content, and reduce nematode and soil-borne pathogens. In addition, our government has founded a series of funds to support strawberry industry in which the most important ones are Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest and National Natural Science Foundation of China. The 7th International Strawberry Symposium, held with solemnity on 18th-22nd Feb. 2012, was a good opportunity to accelerate the improvement of strawberry industry.