The United States Department of Agriculture Strawberry Breeding Program

Abstract

The comprehensive USDA strawberry breeding program was started by George Darrow In Maryland In 1919-20. It continues today at three of six former federal locations: Beltsville, Maryland; Corvallis, Oregon; and Poplarville, Mississippi (breeding has been discontinued at Glenn Dale MD, Carbondale, IL, and Cheyenne, WY). Cooperating scientists, growers and nurseries are presently located in 24 states, three Canadian provinces and five countries. The Beltsville portion of the program originates strawberry cultivars intended for one or more of five broad eastern U.S. regions. Its 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 productive, well-colored and fine-flavored procewsing cultivars for the Pacific Northwest. The Poplarville program concentrates on producing shipping cultivars highly resistant to anthracnose crown and fruit rots and adapted to winter and early spring production areas. 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.