Yield Components of Day-neutral and Short-day Strawberry Varieties on Raised Beds in British Columbia

Eight day-neutral and seven short-day strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa, Duch.) varieties were evaluated on raised beds during 1990 and 1991 in the Fraser River valley, B.C. Among day-neutral varieties in 1990, total variation in marketable yield originated in fruit count (26%), total yield (18%), average leaf size (22%), and runner count (19%) per plant. In 1991, total variation in marketable yield originated in fruit count (38%), runner count (23%), crown count (13%), and total yield (16%) per plant. `Selva' was one of the most productive day-neutral varieties and had the heaviest fruit and the fewest culls during both years of the study. The short-day varieties had uniformly low yields of marketable fruit during the establishment year, 1990. Variation in marketable yield in 1991 originated in runner count (34%), total yield (18%), and fruit count (16%) per plant. Of the short-day varieties in 1991, `Shuswap' had the highest marketable yield and, along with `Pajaro' and `Sequoia', had the fewest culls. `Shuswap' was a prolific producer of runners, while `Sumas' and `Redcrest' yielded well without prolific runner production.