In vitro selection of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) clones tolerant to salt stress

The method of in vitro selection for increased salt tolerance at the seed germination and early growth phase of strawberry seedlings is proposed. Clone Pau/27 was selected on medium containing 200 mM of NaCl from population obtained by free pollination of cv. ‘Paula2019;. Subsequently, on the same medium 18 salt tolerant clones were attained from the population of seeds collected from self pollinated Pau/27 plants. In the next step we examined the influence of a mild salt stress (75 mM of NaCl) on vegetative growth parameters of selected clones and two cvs.; ‘Paula2019; and ‘Senga Sengana’. All materials in the study on the basis of calculated indexes were divided into four groups differing in reaction to salt. First group (clustered together cv. ‘Paula’, Pau/27 and three second generation clones: Pau/27/11, Pau/27/24, Pau/27/30) represents sensitive genotypes. Second group, including ‘Senga Sengana’, Pau/27/06, Pau/27/10, Pau/27/12, Pau/27/13, Pau/27/15, Pau/27/18, Pau/27/20, Pau/27/21, Pau/27/26, Pau/27/27, Pau/27/31 and Pau/27/32 was designated tolerant. Third group contains only one highly tolerant clone Pau/27/08. The last group comprises two highly sensitive clones (Pau/27/01 and Pau/27/03). This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.