Strawberry breeding chain ensures healthy plants that thrive in the northern conditions
Strawberry breeding focuses on developing aromatic varieties, such as are appreciated by the Finnish consumers. The high variability of weather conditions associated with climate change increases the demand for new, sustainable varieties that can thrive in the changing conditions.
Strawberry cultivation is challenged in particular by various soil-borne diseases, which can cause long-term damage to cultivation areas. Successful berry production requires the use of healthy plants for planting. Certified plant production chain produces healthy and true-to-type strawberry plants which help to prevent problems in nursery and berry production.
The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) is responsible for breeding berry and fruit plant varieties, maintaining the mother plants of certified plant production and conserving cultivars and accessions adapted to Finnish conditions.
The latest strawberry varieties 'Maiju' and 'Marketta' were launched in 2024.
Breeding strawberry varieties is a long-term effort
Over the years, Luke has bred around 70 different varieties of horticultural crops, eight of which are strawberries. The latest strawberry varieties 'Maiju' and 'Marketta' were launched in 2024.
Breeding is based on traditional crossbreeding and clonal selection in field and greenhouse trials, aiming for improving agronomic performance and fruit quality, disease resistances and stress tolerances. In addition, strawberry growers, in collaboration with Luke, test the best variety candidate varieties. This will ensure that they are adapted to different growing conditions.
Before a variety is registered, an external office carries out a DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability) investigation to confirm that a new variety is sufficiently distinct from the earlier varieties. At the same time, a formal description of the typical characteristics of the new variety is created. This description is needed for the registration and marketing of new varieties.
The plant breeder can determine the exploitation rights of the plant. The propagation rights for varieties bred at Luke may be granted especially to Finnish companies.
Certified plant production for healthy planting stock
All strawberry varieties bred at Luke are marketed through certified plant production chain. Certified plant production chain is governed by legislation of phytosanitary and planting material, is supervised by the Finnish Food Authority, and is based on different levels of quality grades.
Luke maintains pre-basic plants of the highest category, tested for health and varietal identity. From these pre-basic plants, Finnish nurseries produce basic mother plants and certified plants for berry growers and consumers. Domestic strawberry plants account for 15-20% of the annual planting stock.
Cryopreservation to safeguard the future
Strawberry varieties bred in Finland or otherwise adapted to our conditions are also conserved by the National Plant Genetic Resources Programme's for future research, breeding and educational purposes.
Strawberry cultivars are being preserved as whole plants in field collections and as frozen buds in cryopreservation. In addition, the healthy micropropagation material from certified plant production is well suited for cryopreservation, enabling use of deep freezing techniques to maintain propagation stock when appropriate. There are currently 17 strawberry varieties in Luke’s cryopreservation tanks.
