Runner Training Angle Affects Growth of Runners in ‘Seolhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’ Strawberries

Abstract

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.), a herbaceous perennial crop, is a popular fruit crop with high economical and nutritive values. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the runner training angle (RTA) on the length of internodes and number of runners produced in strawberry ‘Seolhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’ in an attempt to achieve a higher production rate of runner plants and increase the propagation efficiency. Runners were trained for 30 days to grow at an angle of 0° (vertically upward), 45°, 90° (horizontal), 135°, or 180° (hanging down) from the upward vertical axis. The experiment was carried out in a glasshouse with 29/20°C day/night temperatures, an average light intensity of 450 μmol·m-2·s-1 PPFD coming from the sun, and a natural photoperiod of 12 hours. For both ‘Seolhyang’ and ‘Maehyang’, the RTA affected number and length of runners, and number and fresh and dry weights of runner plants. Training at an angle of 135° or 180º shortened length of runners and internodes in ‘Seolhyang’. These RTAs also produced runner plants with the lowest fresh and dry weights in both cultivars. The RTA did not affect the runner diameter, but affected the runner morphology in both cultivars. As compared to a RTA of 135°, a 180° RTA increased number of runner plants produced, making it the most proliferative RTA.