Breeding report of a new early ripening strawberry cultivar Zijin Zaoyu

Abstract:Zijin Zaoyu is a new early ripening strawberry cultivar with diseases resistance and was derived from a cross between Ningyu and Aichi 6 at experimental field. In 2010, 1043 hybrid seeds were obtained by artificial hybridization pollination. In 2011, it was initially selected for the bright color, good taste and early ripening. The line was further evaluated for its uniformity and stability in 2012. And it was finally selected in 2017 after regional adaptability testing at Lishui, Jurong, Donghai, Rugao and Yixing in Jiangsu from 2013 to 2016. The plant growth of this cultivar is strong and the growth hab- it of the plant is semi-upright. In January, the plant height is 14.7 cm and the crown diameter is 39.4 cm and 28.2 cm. The leaves are elliptic with medium green in color. The leaf length is 6.9-7.1 cm and the leaf width is 6.1 cm. The petiole length is 10.5 cm. The flowers are hermaphrodite with white color. The average length of the inflorescence is 18.8 cm and the flowers number per inflorescence is 9-12. The fruit is conical with red peel and good surface. The flesh is orange-red with intense aroma. The fruit is bigger and the average weight is 20.6 g. The fruit tastes sweet with some sour and the content of soluble solids is 11.1%. The fruit firmness is much higher with 2.0 kg·cm-2. The planting time is in early September, and the fruits ripen in middle November in the protected culture of Nanjing, Jiangsu. The yield is up to 39 t · hm- 2. It is resistant to anthracnose, powdery mildew and gray mould. This cultivar is suit- able for forcing cultivation in most areas of China. The cultivation technique of Zijin Zaoyu is similar to common strawberry varieties. But it is need to apply enough base-fertilizes for its higher yield and to remove the old or diseased leaves in time.