Studies on Biodiversity of Fragaria vesca L.

Our cultivated strawberry Fragaria ×ananassa Duch. is a spontaneous hybrid between the wild American species Fragaria virginiana Miller and Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Miller. Due to funnel effects in a more than 250 years breeding history the search for important plant characteristics in wild species, for example Fragaria vesca L. is promising. There are some cultivars of F. vesca for example 'Rugen', 'Baron Solemacher' or 'Yellow Wonder'. Hybrids between the octoploid cultivated strawberry Fragaria ×ananassa and F. vesca are in the breeders focus since 1918 and resulted in the decaploid Fragaria ×vescana R. et A. Bauer with cultivars like 'Florika' cultivated as a meadow-type field. F. vesca is spread throughout Eurasia and North America with special ecological adaptations to the particular habitat. In the present work we investigated the biodiversity of 25 F. vesca accessions representing the whole geographic distribution for this species. Subspecies, formae (alba and semperflorens) as well a hybrid on the subspecies level (nothomorph) were included. The F. ×ananassa cultivar 'Elsanta' was used for comparison. Different vegetative and generative characteristics were documented throughout the growing season including fruit parameters. Altogether high diversity in Fragaria vesca accessions could be observed. Implications for breeding purposes are drawn in this work.