GENETIC, PHENOTYPIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CORRELATIONS AMONG 28 FRUIT AND PLANT CHARACTERS IN THE CULTIVATED STRAWBERRY

Abstract

Generic, phenorypic and environmental correlations and coheritabibties between 28 fruit and plant characters were estimated in 64 progenies produced among 31 North American strawberry clones and 1 German one under the crossing scheme similar to North Carolina Design II. Total berry and total marketable yields were positively and significantly correlated with average berry weight, berries per flower stalk, yield per flower stalk, leaf area, and petiole diameter, but negatively correlated with stolon number and flower stalk number. The inverse relationships between flower stalk number with average berry weight, and with berries per flower stalk may be genetically dependent or arise from developmentally induced relationships. Plant height appeared to be a good indicator of both early and early marketable yields; petiole number was considered the best indicator of soluble solids and easy capping, while soluble solids may be of value as an indicator of both late and late marketable yields. In general, no genetic barrier was detected to combine high yield with good quality of the berry.