| Garden Strawberry | ||||||||||||||||
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 Garden strawberries grown hydroponically. Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro (water and ponos (labour is a method of growing Plants using mineral Nutrient solutions without
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Fragaria xananassa Duchesne |
The Garden strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa and related cultivars) is the most common variety of strawberry cultivated worldwide. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar Like other species of Fragaria (strawberries), it belongs to the family Rosaceae. Fragaria is the name of a Genus of Plants in the family Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible Fruits The Rosaceae or Rose family is a large family of Plants with about 3000-4000 species in 100-160 genera Technically, its fruit is known as an accessory fruit, in that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries (achenes) but from the peg at the bottom of the bowl-shaped hypanthium that holds the ovaries. An accessory fruit, false fruit, spurious fruit, epigynous fruit, syconium or pseudocarp is a Fruit where the fleshy An achene is a type of simple dry Fruit produced by many species of Flowering plants Achenes are "monocarpellate" (formed from one Carpel A hypanthium is a floral structure consisting of the bases of the sepals petals and stamens fused together
The Garden Strawberry was first bred in Europe in the early 18th century, and represents the accidental cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America, which was noted for its flavor, and Fragaria chiloensis from Chile, which was noted for its large size. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The Virginia Strawberry ( Fragaria virginiana) is one of two species of Strawberry that were hybridized to create the modern domesticated Garden The Beach Strawberry, Chilean Strawberry, Sand Strawberry, or Coastal Strawberry ( Fragaria chiloensis) is one of two species of Strawberry Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the
Cultivars of Fragaria ×ananassa have replaced in commercial production the Woodland Strawberry, which was the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century. Fragaria vesca, commonly known as Woodland Strawberry occurs naturally throughout the Northern Hemisphere. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar
Contents |
History
The typical cultivated strawberry comes from the Americas, and is a hybrid of the North America F. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America virginiana and the South American F. chiloensis, developed through accidental hybridization in the early 18th century. The F. chiloensis clones brought from Europe were exclusively female, and thus had to be planted with pollen sources to obtain fruit, resulting in hybrid seed from which F. x ananassa is believed to have arisen, probably around Brest, France.
The name Fragaria comes from "fragans," meaning odorous, referring to the perfumed flesh of the fruit. Madam Tallien, a great figure of the French Revolution, who was nicknamed Our Lady of Thermidor, used to take baths full of strawberries to keep the full radiance of her skin. Thérésa Cabarrus, best known as Madame Tallien ( 31 July 1773 &ndash 15 January 1835) was a French social The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The Thermidorian Reaction was a revolt in the French Revolution against the excesses of the Reign of Terror.
Fontenelle, centenarian writer and gourmet of the 18th century, considered his long life was due to the strawberries he used to eat. Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, also referred to as Bernard le Bouyer de Fontenelle ( 11 February 1657 &ndash 9 January 1757) was
Strawberries were considered poisonous in Argentina until the mid-nineteenth century.
Popular etymology has it that the name "straw" berry comes from gardeners' practice of mulching strawberries with straw to protect the fruits from rot (a pseudoetymology that can be found in non-linguistic sources such as the Old Farmer's Almanac 2005). Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. In Agriculture and Gardening, '''mulch''' is a protective cover placed over the Soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local Climate. Straw is an agricultural By-product, the dry stalk of a Cereal plant after the Grain or Seed has been removed The Old Farmer's Almanac is a reference book that contains Weather forecasts Tide tables planting charts astronomical data Recipes
There is an alternative theory that the name derives from the Anglo-Saxon verb for "strew" (meaning to spread around) which was streabergen (Strea means "strew" and Bergen means "berry" or "fruit") and thence to streberie, straiberie, strauberie, straubery, strauberry, and finally, "strawberry," the word which we use today. The name might have come from the fact that the fruit and various runners appear "strewn" along the ground.
Another theory suggests strawberries received their name from the long-time practice of packing the delicate fruit in straw.
Cultivation
Strawberry varieties vary remarkably in size, color, flavor, shape, degree of fertility, season of ripening, liability to disease and constitution of plant. Some vary in foliage, and some vary materially in the relative development of their sexual organs. In most cases the flowers appear hermaphroditic in structure, but function as either male or female.
For purposes of commercial production, plants are propagated from runners and generally distributed as either bare root plants or plugs. Cultivation follows one of two models, annual plasticulture or a perennial system of matted rows or mounds. A small amount of strawberries are also produced in greenhouses during the off season.
The bulk of modern commercial production uses the plasticulture system. In this method, raised beds are formed each year and covered with plastic, which prevents weed growth and erosion, under which is run irrigation tubing. Plants, usually obtained from northern nurseries, are planted through holes punched in this covering. Runners are removed from the plants as they appear, to encourage the plants to put most of their energy into fruit development. At the end of the harvest season, the plastic is removed and the plants are plowed into the ground. Because strawberry plants more than a year or two old begin to decline in productivity and fruit quality, this system of replacing the plants each year allows for improved yields and denser plantings. However, because it requires a longer growing season to allow for establishment of the plants each year, and because of the increased costs in terms of forming and covering the mounds and purchasing plants each year, it is not always practical in all areas.
The other major method is to maintain the same plants from year to year. The runners of established plants should be allowed to root in the soil adjoining the plants, which should, therefore, be kept light and fine, or layered into small pots as for forcing. As soon as a few leaves are produced on each the secondary runners should be stopped. When the plants have become well-rooted they should at once be planted out. They do best in a rather strong loam, and should be kept tolerably moist. Loam is Soil composed of Sand, Silt, and Clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively considered The ground should be trenched 50-100 cm deep, and supplied with plenty of manure, a good proportion of which should lie just below the roots, 25-30 cm from the surface. The plants may be put in on an average about 50-60 cm apart.
The plantation should be renewed every second or third year, or less frequently if kept free of runners, if the old leaves are cut away after the fruit has been gathered, and if a good top-dressing of rotten dung or leaf mold is applied. A top-dressing of loam is beneficial if applied before the plants begin to grow in spring, but after that period they should not be disturbed during the summer either at root or at top. If the plants produce a large number of flower-scapes, each should, if fine large fruit is desired, have them reduced to about four of the strongest. The lowest blossoms on the scape will be found to produce the largest, earliest and best fruits. The fruit should not be gathered until it is quite ripe, and then, if possible, it should be quite dry, but not heated by the sun. Those intended for preserving are best taken without the stalk and the calyx. A sepal (from Latin separatus "separate" + petalum "petal" is a part of the flower of Angiosperms or flower plants
A mulching of straw manure put between the rows in spring serves to keep the ground moist and the fruit clean, as well as to afford nourishment to the plants. Manure is Organic matter used as Organic fertilizer in Agriculture. Unless required, the runners are cut off early, in order to promote the swelling of the fruit. The plants are watered during dry weather after the fruit is set, and occasionally until it begins to colour. As soon as the fruit season is over, the runners are again removed, and the ground hoed and raked.
Strawberries are often grouped according to their flowering habit. Traditionally, this has consisted of a division between "June-bearing" strawberries, which bear their fruit in the early summer and "Ever-bearing" strawberries, which often bear several crops of fruit throughout the season. More recently, research has shown that strawberries actually occur in three basic flowering habits: short day, long day, and day neutral. These refer to the day length sensitivity of the plant and the type of photoperiod which induces flower formation. Day neutral cultivars produce flowers regardless of the photoperiod. Most commercial strawberries are either short day or day neutral.
While rarely if ever done commercially, strawberries may also be propagated by seed, and a few seed propagated cultivars have been developed for home use. Seeds are acquired commercially or saved from fruit ripened early in the summer. They may at once be sown, either in a sheltered border outdoors or in pots, or better in March under glass, when they will produce fruits in June of the same year. The soil should be rich and light, and the seeds very slightly covered by sifting over them some leaf-mould or old decomposed cow dung. When the plants appear and have made five or six leaves, they are transplanted to where they are to remain for bearing. The seeds sown in pots may be helped on by gentle heat, and when the plants are large enough they are pricked out in fine rich soil, and in June transferred to the open ground for bearing.
Pollination
Most cultivars are somewhat self fertile, but good bee activity has been shown to improve pollination, which results in larger and better shaped berries. Bees are flying Insects closely related to Wasps and Ants Bees are a Monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea Pollination in angiosperms and Gymnosperms is the process that transfers pollen grains, which contain the male Gametes (sperm to where the female Commercial growers sometimes place beehives within range of the fields to increase bee populations.
Forcing
The runners propagated for forcing are layered into 75 mm pots, filled with rich soil, and held firm by a piece of raffia, a peg or stone. The Raffia palms ( Raphia) are a Genus of twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, Madagascar, with one species If kept duly watered they will soon form independent plants. The earlier they are secured the better.
When firmly rooted they are removed and transferred into well-drained 150 mm pots, of strong well-enriched loam, the soil being rammed firmly into the pots, which are to be set in an open airy place. In severe frosts they should be covered with dry litter or bracken, but do not necessarily require to be placed under glass. They are moved into the forcing houses as required.
The main points to be kept in view in forcing strawberries are:
- use strong stocky plants, the leaves of which have grown sturdily from being well exposed to light, and
- grow them slowly until the fruit is set.
When they are first introduced into heat, the temperature should not exceed 8°C to 10°C, and air must be freely admitted; should the leaves appear to grow up thin and delicate, less fire heat and more air must be given, but an average temperature of 13°C by day may be allowed and continued while the plants are in flower.
When the fruit is set the heat may be gradually increased, till at the ripening period it stands at 18°C to 24°C by sun heat. While the fruit is swelling the plants should never be allowed to get dry, but when it begins to colour no more water should be given than is absolutely requisite to keep the leaves from flagging. The plants should be removed from the house as soon as the crop is gathered. The forced plants properly hardened make first-rate outdoor plantations, and if put out early in summer, in good ground, will often produce a useful autumnal crop.
Pests
A number of species of Lepidoptera feed on strawberry plants; for details see this list. Lepidoptera is an order of Insect that includes Moths and butterflies. Strawberries ( Fragaria spp) are used as food plants by the Larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species including Angle Shades
Diseases
- See also: List of strawberry diseases
The most troublesome fungoid attacks to which the strawberry is subject are mildew, leaf spot and leaf blight. This article is a list of diseases of Strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa) Mildew refers to certain kinds of Mold or Fungus. In Old English, it meant honeydew (a substance secreted by Aphids on leaves formerly Leaf Spots are round blemishes found on the leaves of many species of Plants mostly caused by Parasitic Fungi or Bacteria. Phomopsis obscurans (leaf blight is a common disease-causing Fungus affecting Strawberry plants The former, like all mildews, attacks the leaves and spreads to the fruit, these being covered with the white mycelium. The fungus is identical with that causing mildew in hops (Sphaerotheca humuli), and its development is greatly furthered by exposure of its host to cold draughts or low night temperatures. The hop ( Humulus) is a small genus of Flowering plants native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Spraying the foliage with potassium sulfide (K2S) (mixed with water at a 1:40 ratio by volume) should hold it in check, but the plants should not be sprayed when the fruit is developing. Potassium (pəˈtæsiəm is a Chemical element. It has the symbol K (kalium from qalīy Atomic number 19 and Atomic mass 39 The term sulfide ( sulphide in British English) refers to several types of Chemical compounds containing Sulfur in its lowest Oxidation
Leaf spot is caused by the fungus Sphaerella fragariae, The first symptom of this attack is the appearance of small, circular, white spots on the leaves, having a broad, definite, dark reddish margin.
On these spots a whitish mould develops, and this is followed later by the perfect form of the fungus, the fruits of which appear to the naked eye as small black spots seated on the white dead spot on the leaf. Potassium sulfide may be used as for the mildew, or, perhaps better, Bordeaux mixture. Bordeaux mixture is a combination of Copper sulfate and Hydrated lime, invented in the vineyards of the Bordeaux region of France and known locally as Bouillie Some recommend cutting off the leaves after fruiting and turn the beds over so as to destroy the fungus in the leaves.
Leaf blight is caused by the fungus Phomopsis obscurans. Phomopsis obscurans (leaf blight is a common disease-causing Fungus affecting Strawberry plants The symptoms begin as one to several circular reddish-purple spots on a leaflet. Spots enlarge to V-shaped lesions with a light brown inner zone and dark brown outer zone. Lesions follow major veins progressing inward. A copper sulphate containing spray like Bordeaux mixture will help control this disease. Bordeaux mixture is a combination of Copper sulfate and Hydrated lime, invented in the vineyards of the Bordeaux region of France and known locally as Bouillie
The grubs of the cockchafer (Meloloniha vulgaris) and the rose chafer (Cetonia aurata) frequently feed upon the roots of the strawberry and do considerable damage, while the larvae of the Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli) and garden swift moth behave in a similar way. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example The cockchafer (colloquially called may bug, billy witch, or spang beetle, particularly in East Anglia) is a European Beetle Cetonia aurata, known as the Rose chafer, or more rarely as the green rose chafer, is a reasonably large Beetle, 20 mm A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example The Ghost Moth ( Hepialus humuli) also known as the Ghost Swift, is a Moth of the family Hepialidae. The imago of Cetonia aurala also frequently damages the flowers of the strawberry by devouring their centres, and is often troublesome in this way in forcing-houses particularly. In Biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an Insect, after the last Ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence The carnivorous ground beetles, particularly Pterostichus nigra and Harpalus rufimanus, when the fruit is ripe attack it at night, returning to the soil in the daytime. Ground beetles or carabids are collective terms for the Beetle family Carabidae. They are to be caught by placing jars containing some attractive matter, such as meat and water, at intervals about the beds with their mouths sunk level with the surface of the soil. Millipedes also are often found in the ripe fruit, but occur mostly where the soil is very rich in organic matter and poor in lime. Millipedes (Class Diplopoda, previously also known as Chilognatha are Arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment (except for the first segment behind Calcium oxide ( CaO) commonly known as burnt lime, lime or quicklime, is a widely used Chemical compound. Slugs and snails also snack on the fruit, as do birds. Slug is a common non-scientific word which is often applied to any Gastropod mollusk whatsoever that has a very reduced shell a small internal shell The word snail is a Common name that can be used for almost all members of the Molluscan class Gastropoda which have coiled shells in the Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Slug pellets can be used to reduce their numbers, with child and animal safe versions available. Organic solutions to slug attacks include beer baiting.
Production trends
The FAO reports that the United States was the top producer of strawberry worldwide in 2005 followed by Spain.
Uses
In addition to being consumed fresh, strawberries are frozen or made into preserves. Strawberries are a popular addition to dairy products, as in strawberry flavored ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies and yogurts. Strawberry pie is also popular. Strawberries can also be used as a natural acid/base indicator. They are also dried and used in cereal bars. They are also supposedly used for whitening teeth. [1]
Nutrition
One cup (144 g) of strawberries constitutes approximately 45 calories (188 kJ) and is an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids. Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an Essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species a small number of other Mammalian The term flavonoid (or bioflavonoid refers to a class of Plant Secondary metabolites According to the IUPAC nomenclature they can be classified into
| Nutrient | Units | 1 cup, whole ------- 144 g |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water | g | 132 |
| Energy | kcal | 43 |
| Energy | kJ | 181 |
| Protein | g | 0. 88 |
| Total lipid (fat) | g | 0. 53 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | g | 10. 1 |
| Fiber, total dietary | g | 3. 3 |
| Ash | g | 0. 62 |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca | mg | 20 |
| Iron, Fe | mg | 0. 55 |
| Magnesium, Mg | mg | 14 |
| Phosphorus, P | mg | 27 |
| Potassium, K | mg | 240 |
| Sodium, Na | mg | 1. 44 |
| Zinc, Zn | mg | 0. 19 |
| Copper, Cu | mg | 0. 07 |
| Manganese, Mn | mg | 0. 42 |
| Selenium, Se | µg | 1. 01 |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, ascorbic acid | mg | 82 |
| Thiamin | mg | 0. 03 |
| Riboflavin | mg | 0. 10 |
| Niacin | mg | 0. 33 |
| Pantothenic acid | mg | 0. 49 |
| Vitamin B-6 | mg | 0. 09 |
| Folate | µg | 25 |
| Vitamin B-12 | µg | 0 |
| Vitamin A, IU | IU | 39 |
| Vitamin A, RE | µg RE | 4. 3 |
| Vitamin E | mg ATE | 0. 20 |
| Nutrient | Units | 1 cup, whole ------- 144 g |
|---|---|---|
| Lipids | ||
| Fatty acids, saturated | g | 0. 03 |
| 16:0 | g | 0. 02 |
| 18:0 | g | 0. 006 |
| Fatty acids, monounsaturated | g | 0. 075 |
| 16:1 | g | 0. 001 |
| 18:1 | g | 0. 073 |
| Fatty acids, polyunsaturated | g | 0. 27 |
| 18:2 | g | 0. 16 |
| 18:3 | g | 0. 11 |
| Cholesterol | mg | 0 |
| Phytosterols | mg | 17 |
| Amino acids | ||
| Tryptophan | g | 0. 01 |
| Threonine | g | 0. 027 |
| Isoleucine | g | 0. 02 |
| Leucine | g | 0. 045 |
| Lysine | g | 0. 036 |
| Methionine | g | 0. 001 |
| Cystine | g | 0. 007 |
| Phenylalanine | g | 0. 026 |
| Tyrosine | g | 0. 030 |
| Valine | g | 0. 026 |
| Arginine | g | 0. 037 |
| Histidine | g | 0. 017 |
| Alanine | g | 0. 045 |
| Aspartic acid | g | 0. 20 |
| Glutamic acid | g | 0. 13 |
| Glycine | g | 0. 035 |
| Proline | g | 0. 027 |
| Serine | g | 0. 033 |
Gallery
 Closeup of the surface of a strawberry |
 Strawberry flowers and developing fruit |
 Harvested strawberries |
 More strawberries |
 A wild strawberry plant, showing characteristic shape |
External links
- F. ananassa data from GRIN Taxonomy Database
- University of California, Strawberry pest management guidelines
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