Strawberry Cultivars Preserved in the Swedish National Gene Bank

Abstract

Abstract Some 35 cultivars of Fragaria are preserved in the Swedish National Gene Bank for vegetatively propagated crops, which opened in 2016. The genebank includes a field collection in Alnarp, southern Sweden, and a back-up collection of virus-free plants at the Swedish Elite Plant Station. Here we document how the cultivars, the so-called mandate cultivars, were selected. Swedish origin was the primary criteria used in the selection process. In this category cultivars from historic Swedish breeding programmes are of particular interest. During 80 years, starting in the 1920s and ending in the late 1990s, 16 strawberries including three Fragaria × vescana hybrids were developed by Swedish breeders. Unfortunately, for three of these the accessions in the genebank are uncertain and four have not yet been recovered. The 16 cultivars bred in Sweden are presented with their year of introduction, parentage and short descriptions. Additionally, we also briefly describe local cultivars of strawberries and wild strawberries. Another category of mandate cultivars are foreign cultivars with a growing tradition in Sweden dating back to before 1966. Their age, country of origin, and importance for Swedish cultivation are discussed.