Our Strawberries

Abstract
Our Strawberry is a very comprehensive illustrated book of strawberry varieties. It describes over 170 strawberry varieties using information collected during 1989-2004 from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada experimental growing sites in L’Acadie (Quebec); it also includes some information gathered from the published scientific literature for comparison with those collected locally. The book is a
valuable reference for strawberry breeders, scientists interested in strawberry culture, extensionists, growers, and home gardeners. The information on winter hardiness, disease resistant, and ripening dates is invaluable for those who live in colder climates with shorter growing seasons and similar diseases to our climate. The presence of numerous images throughout the book and the detailed description of all the cultivars along with morphological characteristics may help in identification of some unknown cultivars. There are also symbols that can help the reader determine quickly the origin and some important traits, such as season ripening, disease resistance and/or end use, of described strawberry cultivars, and it may help to select cultivars for specific uses.
Information on over 1000 strawberry cultivars can be obtained from UniBase® (A universal database to view images and trace pedigree and characteristics of horticultural or agronomic crops, pests, insects, animals, birds, chemical product, etc.) Additional information on this database is also
available at http://www.unibase.ca.

Introduction

I came across a book entitled “The AB C of the Strawberry Culture” by T. B. Terry and A. I. Root, published in 1902 by the A. I. Root Co., Media, Ohio, when I was searching to find more about strawberry and strawberry culture. What I found interesting was the similarity of the present techniques and cultural practices compared to those that were used and recommended in those days. The only major differences that I found in recent literature and those published earlier are the new diseases or disease races identified by pathologists and the new germplasm. The information in this book might provide a fair idea of the selected strawberry varieties, common pests and diseases and information on strawberry germplasm distribution and conservation, however, the adaptation and performance of each cultivar may vary considerably from region to region and require careful regional evaluation before adapting new varieties.
In northern areas, the season is short and there is a lack of adapted cultivars suitable for these climates. Breeding cultivars adapted to local conditions and evaluation of new and old cultivars adapted for northern regions are the solution to improving strawberry production in this area. Strawberries are grown commercially in every province, however, Quebec (38%) and Ontario (31%) have the largest production followed by British Columbia (15%). What is interesting to note is that most of the adapted cultivars in each region are the ones that are bred locally.
Performance, description and information provided in this book may not be the same for other regions due to the response of the cultivars to environmental factors and cultural practices, but it certainly will provide some information for selecting and testing them locally.

 

Editors

 

 

Shahrokh Khanizadeh - For more informations on his productivity click here.

Jennifer DeEll Dr. Jennifer DeEll came to Ontario in January 2000 and is the Fresh Market Quality Program Lead with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF), located in Simcoe. Dr. DeEll was previously employed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, having spent 4 years in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (1996-2000), where she developed and led a research program in postharvest physiology of horticultural crops, and 7 years in Kentville, Nova Scotia (1989-1996), where she worked with the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association investigating new technologies to improve longterm storage of apples. She obtained a B.Sc. (Honors in Biology) from Acadia University and her M.Sc. from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Guelph in 1996. Dr. DeEll is currently involved in the use of anti-ethylene technologies to retard fruit ripening and control physiological disorders, developing optimum procedures for fresh-cut apple slices, investigating methods to improve packaging and handling of fresh produce, evaluating new strawberry selections for postharvest quality and shelf-life, and the use of chlorophyll fluorescence technology to detect postharvest stress in fruits and vegetables prior to visual symptoms. She has numerous scientific publications, review articles, and book chapters on these and other subjects pertaining to postharvest physiology and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Authors

	Bostanian Noubar J.
	Carisse Odile
	Cousineau Johanne
	Dale Adam
	Daubeny Hugh
	DeEll Jennifer
	Hancock Jim
	Hummer Kim E.
	Khanizadeh Shahrokh
	Khanizadeh Shapour
	Levasseur Audrey
	Luffman Margie
	Maas John L.
	Nonnecke Gail R.
	Pritts Marvin P.
	Sullivan Alan J.
	Vincent Charles

Research Team - Acknowledgements

This book would never be published without the dedicated work of the following research assistants who worked hard and put in extra time since 1989 to pull the data and information together.

Yvon Groleau Martine Deschênes Audrey Levasseur Carmen Beldica Martin Gauthier Djamila Rekika Diane Montpetit Diane Montpetit obtained a master's degree from Laval University (Quebec) in 1986 and a certificate in electron microscopy from the Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto in 1987. She taught electron microscopy at Cegep Ste-Foy and was responsible for the microscopy laboratory of the Faculty of forestry of Laval University from 1987 to 1989. She is presently in charge of the electron microscopy unit of the Food Research and Development Centre in AAFC St.Hyacinthe, Quebec.