Breeding report of a new strawberry cultivar Hongfen Yiren with red flower

Abstract：Hongfen Yiren is a new red- flowered ornamental strawberry cultivar with long florescence over 4 months. The seedling was derived from a cross between 18SF and 52SF in 2017 at the experimental field. The parents were introduced from Shenyang Agricultural University. It was initially selected in 2018 for its dark pink flower, the ability of continuous flowering and resistance. Through artificial hybridization pollination, 350 hybrid seeds were got in 2017. After regional adaptability testing at three sites (including Gongzhuling, Huinan and Meihekou) over three years from 2019 to 2021, it was finally selected in 2021. This species is moderate, attaining a height of 14.6 cm; the plant is vigorous with upright growth habit. The crown diameter is from 16.8 cm to 20.4 cm. The leaves are elliptic with green color. The leaf length is 4.9 cm and the leaf width is 3.3 cm, with sharply serrated margin. The petiole length is 6.1 cm. Hongfen Yiren has hermaphrodite dark pink flowers of 3.1 cm in the corolla diameter and 5-8 petals per flower. The number of flowers per inflorescence is 4-12. Fruit is conical or wedgeshaped with slightly red peel. The flesh is red with light aroma. The average single primary fruit weight is 7.06 g, 2.6 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The fruit tastes sweet and sour. The content of soluble solids is 11.6%. The content of total soluble sugar is 55.47%. The content of soluble acid is 0.46%. The content of vitamin C is 0.41 mg·g-1 . The fruit firmness is 1.06 kg·cm-2 . The plantlets are usually planted in midApril and start to bloom in mid-May and end in October in the open field in Gongzhuling region (124° E and 43° N). The opining time of each flower lasts 5 to 7 days. The ability of continuous flowering is strong. The fruits ripen in early or middle June in the open filed. This cultivar is mainly used for ornamental purposes and has a low yield. It is resistant to gray mold and powdery mildew, and highly resistant to leaf spot. This cultivar is suitable for ornamental purpose. It can be ornamentally cultivated instrawberry producing areas of the central and eastern districts of Jilin province and other areas with similar climatic conditions. It is suitable to grow in the open field. The orchard should be chosen on neutral or slight acidic soil. Because this cultivar has long florescence, it is needed to apply enough base-fertilizes. It can be planted in the center of a 1 m wide ridge, and spacing in the rows is 50 cm or it is planted in a flower pot. The planting depth should be such that the base of the seedling center is flush with the ground, ensuring that no roots are exposed and the seedlings growing point is not buried. After planting, water should be poured thoroughly. It is advisable to plant in the evening or on cloudy days, which is beneficial for slowing down the seedlings. This species needs to be protected to overwinter safely in the open field. It is generally carried out before the freezing period (late October to early November in Changchun). After winter protection, it can continue to grow in the spring of the following year. It needs replant after three years.