New strawberry variety Tainung No. 1, first choice for desserts, with rich aroma and striking deep-red fruit color

Taiwan's total annual strawberry harvest area is about 500 hectares or more, with Dahu Township in Miaoli County having the largest planted area, while Guoxing Township in Nantou County and some areas in other counties and cities also cultivate them. However, limited by Taiwan's hot and humid summer climate, the production period is mostly concentrated in winter and spring. For decades, the main variety in strawberry production areas has been "Taoyuan No. 1," commonly known as "Fengxiang." But because global warming has become increasingly serious, under the impact of extreme weather such as disastrous torrential rain and rapid temperature fluctuations, "Taoyuan No. 1" has shown weakening growth vigor year by year and is prone to pest and disease damage. In recent years, farmers have had to choose to plant the "Xiangshui" variety, which has strong plants and high yield, but its fruit aroma is moderate and its fresh-eating flavor is slightly inferior to "Taoyuan No. 1." Therefore, people still hope that a new strawberry variety with excellent quality and market competitiveness can be introduced.

Variety characteristics of the strawberry "Tainung No. 1"

The new strawberry variety "Tainung No. 1" was bred by cross-pollinating "Xiangshui" (female parent) with "Taoyuan No. 1" (male parent), followed by years of trial planting, observation, and strain selection. Its plant form is large-leaved and semi-upright; the leaf surface color is light green, and the degree of leaf surface blistering is medium; the leaf margin shape of the middle leaflets is serrated to crenate; the skin color of the conical fruit is deep red, the flesh in longitudinal section is red, and the core is pale red, with the fruit seeds positioned at about the same level as the skin. When planted in early October each year, the flowering period of mature plants is earlier than that of "Taoyuan No. 1," around mid-November under normal timing, and the fruit ripening period is also earlier than that of "Taoyuan No. 1," around early December. "Tainung No. 1" has strong fruit aroma, and its average firmness is higher than that of "Taoyuan No. 1." Its average soluble solids content, such as sugars, is 8.55-10.44°Bx, and its average acidity is 0.27-0.36%. In addition to being a fruit with excellent fresh-eating flavor, it is also the preferred material for processing top-grade jam and fine pastries.

Cultivation management of the strawberry "Tainung No. 1"

In addition to traditional field planting, this variety is also suitable for cultivation in protected facilities. It can use insect pollination by bees and other insects, or, under good ventilation, complete pollination through wind pollination. If pollination is poor or the proportion of nitrogen fertilizer applied during fruit development is excessive, then color change at the tips of some fruits is delayed, and "green tip" may occasionally appear; excessive potassium fertilizer application can affect the absorption of calcium fertilizer and the trace element boron, causing scorched or twisted and deformed tips of new leaves, as well as plant stunting that makes it difficult for the plant to elongate.

Although this variety rarely developed powdery mildew during cultivation trials, affected by weather and protected facility environmental factors, symptoms of common strawberry diseases such as fruit rot, gray mold, anthracnose, or wilt, as well as pests such as aphids, two-spotted spider mites, mealybugs, Taiwan flower thrips, and Spodoptera litura, have also been found on plants of this variety. Once flowers are damaged by feeding of Taiwan flower thrips, the fruit skin is easily cracked and develops poorly later, affecting commercial value. Therefore, attention should be paid to disinfecting the cultivation medium, frequently removing dead leaves and removing diseased plants, and maintaining cleanliness in the growing area. For common pest and disease control strategies, non-pesticide control techniques can be adopted, or refer to the "Plant Protection Information System" website.

The strawberry "Tainung No. 1" obtained Taiwan plant variety rights in October 2021 (Variety Rights Certificate No. A02783). At present, two agricultural enterprises, Taiyi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. in Puli Township, Nantou County and Qinlin Leisure Farm in Taibao City, Chiayi County, have completed non-exclusive technology licensing with the Agricultural Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, and are expected to begin propagating large quantities of superior seedlings and promoting cultivation in the near term.