Characterizing the growth, morphology, productivity, and fruit quality of twenty-five strawberry cultivars in an indoor vertical farm environment

Authors: LIN, YIYUN - The Ohio State University; KIM, CHANGHYEON - The Ohio State University; Bassil, Nahla; Oliphant, James - Jim; Hardigan, Michael; KUBOTA, CHIERI - The Ohio State University

Submitted to: Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: In this study, we evaluated 25 cultivars for characteristics that are desirable for production in indoor farming. These 25 cultivars were obtained from the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository and evaluated in a walk-in growth chamber. Cultivars ‘Mara des Bois’ and ‘Dover’ had early production, high productivity, and low sensitivity to dormancy-inducing photoperiod and were recommended for indoor cultivation. ‘Nyohou’ exhibited the highest maximum productivity. Fruit quality traits, including size, shape, color, firmness, total soluble solid content and titratable acidity, were evaluated. ‘Chandler’ produced the largest fruit, ‘Sweet Sunrise’ showed the lowest calyx-to-fruit size ratio, and ‘Mara des Bois’, ‘Hood’, ‘Benton’, and ‘Puget Beauty’ fruit had a good sweetness to acidity ratio. Correlations among productivity, quality, and photosynthetic and morphological characteristics suggested the potential to enhance both productivity and quality by optimizing environmental conditions. The information on strawberry plant growth, development, and fruit production provided in this study can assist indoor growers in cultivar selection and potentially contribute to the development of new strawberry cultivars that thrive in indoor production.

Technical Abstract: Indoor vertical farming enables superior strawberry production through optimized conditions. As strawberry growth, production, and quality can be largely affected by genotype and environment, it is important to identify cultivars with characteristics desirable for indoor production. Twenty-five publicly available strawberry cultivars were selected from the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository and evaluated in a walk-in growth chamber. Strawberries ‘Mara des Bois’ and ‘Dover’ with early production, high productivity, and low sensitivity to dormancy-inducing photoperiod were recommended for indoor cultivation, and ‘Nyohou’ exhibited the highest photosynthetically active radiation-based maximum productivity. Fruit quality traits, including size, shape, color, firmness, total soluble solid content (Brix), and titratable acidity (TA), were evaluated. ‘Chandler’ produced the largest fruit, ‘Sweet Sunrise’ showed the lowest calyx-to-fruit size ratio, and ‘Mara des Bois’, ‘Hood’, ‘Benton’, and ‘Puget Beauty’ fruit had a Brix-to-TA ratio = 1.0. Correlations among productivity, quality, and photosynthetic and morphological characteristics revealed the potential to enhance both productivity and quality by optimizing environmental conditions. The information on strawberry plant growth, development, and fruit production provided in this study can assist indoor growers in cultivar selection and potentially con-tribute to the development of new strawberry cultivars that thrive in indoor production.