From 2022 to 2024, we evaluated the performance of 15 June-bearing strawberry cultivars grown in a plasticulture system using black and white-on-black plastic mulches at two locations in Indiana: the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in Vincennes, IN, and the Meigs Horticulture Research Farm in Lafayette, IN. During the experimental period, monthly average temperatures at the Vincennes site were 1.4 to 5.0°F higher than those at the Lafayette location. The soil at Vincennes is classified as an Alvin fine sandy loam, while the soil at Lafayette consists of a mix of silt loam and silty clay loam.
Plug plants were used for all cultivars evaluated. Cultivar names and plant sources are listed below. Transplanting was conducted on September 7 and 8, 2022, at both locations. Strawberries were harvested over two spring seasons – 2023 and 2024. The trial concluded following the second year’s harvest in June 2024.
Cultivars
Galletta, Yambu, Darselect, Favorfest, Cabot, AC Valley Sunset (Nourse Farm, Whately, MA)
Chandler, Camarosa, Sweet Charlie, Camino Real, Merced (Van Meter Farm, Clarkson, KY)
McNitt Growers, Sensation, Ruby June, Keepsake (McNitt Growers, Carbondale, IL)
In a previous article, we examined the effects of black vs. white plastic mulches on strawberry performance. In the current article, we focus on the effects of cultivar selection.
Yield
In 2023, due to a lack of frost protection, yields at both locations were negatively affected by frost damage. At Vincennes, total yields ranged from 0.94 lb/plant for Camarosa to 0.28 lb/plant for Keepsake, with Camarosa (0.94 lb/plant), Chandler (0.92 lb/plant), and Camino Real (0.86 lb/plant) being the highest-yielding cultivars. At Lafayette, severe frost losses resulted in yields below 0.5 lb/plant for all cultivars.
In 2024, total yield in Vincennes ranged from 1.43 lb/plant for Flavorfest to 0.23 lb/plant for AC Valley Sunset. The highest-yielding cultivars were Flavorfest (1.43 lb/plant), Darselect (1.41 lb/plant), Camino Real (1.33 lb/plant), and Merced (1.33 lb/plant). At Lafayette, the top-yielding cultivars were Cabot (1.28 lb/plant), Camino Real (1.06 lb/plant), Chandler (1.04 lb/plant), and Flavorfest (1.04 lb/plant).
Combining yields over both years, five cultivars exceeded 2 lb/plant in Vincennes: Flavorfest (2.24 lb/plant), Camino Real (2.20 lb/plant), Darselect (2.15 lb/plant), Merced (2.07 lb/plant), and Chandler (2.01 lb/plant). Among these, Flavorfest (1.04 lb/plant), Chandler (1.04 lb/plant), and Camino Real (1.06 lb/plant) also had relatively high cumulative yields at Lafayette. Additionally, Cabot (1.28 lb/plant) performed well in Lafayette.
Among the top-yielding cultivars, Chandler had the smallest fruit size, while Cabot and Merced produced larger fruit compared to the other top performers.
Sweet Charlie consistently stood out as the earliest-ripening cultivar at both locations and in both years. However, early-ripening cultivars face a greater risk of frost damage. When combining two years of harvest, Sweet Charlie produced a moderate yield in Vincennes but had very low yields at Lafayette. In contrast, AC Valley Sunset and Keepsake, which ripened later than other cultivars in the trial, produced moderate yields in Lafayette but low yields in Vincennes.
Long-term Plant Survival
When strawberries are grown for two harvest seasons in plasticulture, plants may experience stress due to heat, and in some cases, lack of care in the summer. As a result, some plants may die during the summer or fail to survive the following winter. At both locations, AC Valley Sunset consistently showed the lowest survival rates 19 months after transplanting the strawberries, with 21% in Vincennes and 55% in Lafayette. Additionally, in Vincennes, Camino Real (64%) and Ruby June (68%) had relatively low survival rates. In Lafayette, Keepsake (83%) and Ruby June (85%) exhibited lower survival compared to other cultivars.
Runner development
We evaluated runner development during the early and late summer of 2023. Immediately after harvest, we counted the number of runners per plant and then removed them in June. Additional runners developed over the summer and were left unmanaged until the end of August. At the time, we removed the runners and collected their biomass.
Among cultivars, Flavorfest produced the fewest runners (6 per plant) in June. Darselect (7 per plant), Yambu (7 per plant), and Cabot (9 per plant) also produced fewer runners compared to the other cultivars. In contrast, Sweet Charlie produced the greatest number of runners (19 per plant), followed by Sensation (17), Merced (15), Camarosa (15), and Chandler (14). This trend was consistent at both locations.
By the end of summer, Sensation, Camarosa, Fronteras, and Camino Real produced the greatest runner biomass at both locations. Cabot and AC Valley Sunset produced the least runner biomass. Interestingly, cultivars such as Flavorfest, Darselect, and Yambu, which had relatively few runners in the early summer, still produced substantial runner biomass by late summer. One possibility is that although these cultivars generated fewer runners, their runners grew rapidly during the summer, contributing to greater overall biomass. Understanding the distinct runner development patterns of each cultivar may help inform targeted runner management strategies in the two-year plasticulture strawberry systems.
We are preparing a comprehensive report that will include the results and discussion from this and previous cultivar evaluation studies conducted in Indiana. Please stay tuned for our upcoming update.