Cold storage of strawberry runner tips on plug plants production and yield/Frigoconservacao das pontas de estoloes na producao de muda com torrao e frutas de morangueiro

The objective of this research was to determine the effects of cold storage of strawberry runner tips used for production of plug plants and fruit yield in the field. The experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, RS, using plug plants rooted after 0; 7; 14; 21; 28 and 35 days of cold storage of runner tips at 0,5 ± 0,3°C temperature and 95 ± 1% air humidity. After the cold storage period, runner tips were rooted for plug plant production and planted in the field for fruit production. The survival rate and number of leaves of plug plants were recorded after rooting. Fruit and stolon number and fruit yield were determined from June to December 2010. It was concluded that the cold storage of runner tips for further rooting and plug plant production did not affect growth and survival of plug plants. Fruit yield of plants originated from such plug plants is reduced when the cold storage period is increased while emission of stolons is linearly enhanced, but these effects are cultivar dependent. Key words: Fragaria x ananassa, propagation, runner tips, plug plants. O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar o efeito da frigoconservacao das pontas de estoloes na producao de plug plants e frutas de morangueiro. O experimento foi realizado em Santa Maria, RS, com mudas das cultivares 'Camarosa', 'Diamante' e 'Araza', produzidas a partir de pontas de estoloes submetidas ao armazenamento refrigerado por 0; 7; 14; 21; 28; e 35 dias na temperatura de 0,5 ± 0, 3°C e umidade relativa de 95 ± 1%. Apos a frigoconservacao, as pontas de estoloes foram enraizadas para producao de mudas, as quais foram plantadas no solo para producao de frutas. A taxa de sobrevivencia e o numero de folhas das mudas foram avaliados apos o periodo de enraizamento. O numero de frutas e de estoloes emitidos e a producao de frutas foram avaliados durante os meses de junho a novembro de 2010. Concluiu-se que a frigoconservacao das pontas de estoloes para posterior enraizamento e producao de plug plants nao afeta o crescimento e a taxa de sobrevivencia das mudas. A producao de frutas das plantas oriundas dessas mudas diminui com o aumento do periodo de frigoconservacao, enquanto a emissao de estoloes aumenta linearmente, com diferencas entre as cultivares. Palavras-chave: Fragaria x ananassa, propagacao, pontas de estoloes, plug plants.