Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #75479
Title: THE USDA STRAWBERRY BREEDING PROGRAM

Author
item Galletta, Gene
item Maas, John
item Finn, Chad
item Smith, Barbara
item Gupton, Creighton

Submitted to: Fruit Varieties Journal
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/23/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: No Interpretive Summary required for Review article.

Technical Abstract: The comprehensive USDA strawberry breeding program was started by George Darrow in Maryland in 1919-20. It continues today at three of five former federal locations: Beltsville, Maryland; Corvallis, Oregon; and Poplarville, Mississippi. Cooperating scientists, growers and nurseries are presently located in 24 states, three Canadian provinces and five countries. The Beltsville portion of the program originates berries for and cooperates with five broad eastern U.S. regions. Its breeding emphasis is on combining disease and stress resistance with superior fruit quality and productivity for the market outlets of each region. The Corvallis emphasis is on breeding processing cultivars for the Pacific Northwest which are productive, well- colored and fine-flavored. The Poplarville program concentrates on producing shipping cultivars for winter and early spring marketing areas which are highly resistant to anthracnose crown and fruit rots. Seventy-four cultivars and four anthracnose- resistant parent germplasm clones have been introduced by the USDA and its cooperators. The program has freely shared cultivar and parental germplasm and/or seed progenies worldwide during its entire history.