Breeding report of a new strawberry cultivar 'Shimei 9'

Abstract: 'Shimei 9' is a short daylight variety with excellent appearance.The seeding was derived from a cross between‘458-2’‘ (Tochiotome’בAllstar’) and‘455-3’‘ (Camarosa’בShimei 4’) in 2007 in an experimental field.It was initially selected in 2009 for its bright colors, special flavor, high firmness, high yield and good disease resistance.5 230 hybrid seeds were got through artificial hybridization pollination.After regional adaptability testing at three different regions in Hebei province (including Handan, Shijiazhuang and Zhangjiakou) over four years from 2010 to 2013, it was finally selected in 2013 with27.0 cm high and 37.2 cm×33.8 cm spread.The plant is strong and vigorous with erect posture, whose leaves are light green color, 9.3 cm of length, 8.1 cm of width and 0.24 mm of thickness, petiole length and coarseness are 18.2 cm and 3.52 mm.Below the leaf surface is inflorescence, in which growth with white and hermaphrodite flowers of whose crown and calyx diameter are 4.2 cm and 5.18 cm.Pedicels are green color, with 6.0 cm of length and 2.7 mm of width.The stolons are green or red color, in which the length of internode is 21.0 cm.The fruit of‘Shimei 9’strawberry is conical, bright red and shiny, on which the sepals were comparatively easy to removed and the first and second grade fruit weight were 48.2 g and 24.7 g.The flesh of fruit is red and dense with fragrant sweet and sour.The contents of soluble solids, reducing sugar and titratable acid are 8.9%, 3.15%and 0.6%, respectively.The hardness is 0.520 kg·cm^-2, and the vitamin C content is 0.47 mg·g^-1.Quality is excellent.The fruit development period is 25-30 d and it matures at the early March in Shijiazhuang greenhouse or at the early May in Shijiazhuang opening cultivation.The ability of continuous blossom is well and the yield of per plant is up to 469.6 g.It is suit- able for open cultivation and semi-forcing culture.The first grade fruits are suitable for fresh and processing of fruit juice, jam, the small ones are suitable for quick-frozen.It is resistant to leaf spot (Ramularia tulasnei) , leather rot (Phytophthora cactorum) , anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum) , powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) , and it is moderate resistant to gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) in open field experiment.The firmness of fruit is high, making it has good shopping quality and its cold storage life is about 7days under 0℃.Suitable cultivation area is where the climate is similar to Shijiazhuang and orchard should choose sandy soil which is flat and having ability of moisture and fertilizer retention.The soil in addition to be deeply plowing and made in raised bed, the decomposed manure is used at 5 000 kg per 666.7 m².Two rows of plants were planted in Each raised bed, whose spacing was 18 cm.Plant management includes removing old leaves, disease leaves, thinning flower buds and runner.Fruits of‘Shimei 9’need to be harvested at nine mature when the fruits are red with sweet and sour taste.Harvest time is before 9:00 am or after 3:00pm.The plants should be poured cold water before the soil frozen in opening cultivation, and the plants should be covered with the white plastic, which should be uncovered in the following spring.