Production of certified strawberry plantlets (Fragaria ananassa) using tissue culture techniques in Lebanon

Abstract

The strawberry (Fragaria sp.) is a low perennial herb belonging to the Rosaceae family and is native of temperate climates. It is cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in such prepared foods as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milkshakes, and chocolates Strawberry cultivation in Lebanon began in the early sixties and evolved during the late eighties to become a major horticultural crop. The area harvested in 2007 was estimated by at 260 ha and had produced 2600 tons (MoA2008)mainly domestically consumed, fresh or transformed. Exports are still limited and are mainly oriented towards the Arab gulf countries. Serious problems affect the availability of strawberry plantlets for Lebanese farmers. In fact, in order to get their plantlets some farmers import high cost plantlets. Other farmers select their plantlets from their field or buy uncertified plantlets from local markets which may cause significant problems including spread of fungal, viral diseases and others. In this context, the project aims to start the production of certified and true to type strawberry F0 plantlets by using tissue culture techniques in the department of Plant Biotechnology, Tissue Culture Unit at Tal Amara station (LARI)in order to distribute them to some NGOs and farmers to do the Vegetative multiplication in the field in order to produce the F1, F2 and F3 plants intended for the production of fruits.