Strawberry runners, mainly used for breeding seedlings in production, are important reproductive organs of strawberries. However, many people often encounter the problem of strawberry seedlings not producing runners during seedling cultivation, which is extremely unfavorable for the reproduction and production of strawberries. So, what are the reasons for strawberry seedlings not producing runners? Let's find out.
Causes of Strawberry Seedlings Not Producing Runners
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Varietal Reasons: Different varieties of strawberries have different abilities to produce runners. For example, everbearing strawberries and light-sensitive varieties have weaker abilities to produce runners, and the number of runners is limited. Solution: Choose strawberry varieties with strong runner production abilities, such as 'Zhangji' strawberry, 'Fengxiang' strawberry, etc.
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Planting Depth: If strawberry seedlings are planted too deep, resulting in light burial of the growing point, it will lead to slow growth of seedlings, low reproduction coefficient, and reduced seedling yield. If planted too shallow, it may expose the roots, reducing the survival rate of planted strawberry seedlings. Solution: Master the principle of "deep but not buried, shallow but not exposed roots." The planting depth should be about 1 cm below the soil surface.
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Temperature and Light: Runners are the nutritional reproductive organs of strawberries. Only under high temperature and long daylight conditions can a large number of runners be formed. Unsuitable temperature and light conditions will not promote the growth of runners. Solution: Regulate temperature and light properly. The temperature should be above 14°C, and the light should exceed 12 hours per day.
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Improper Fertilization and Irrigation: Insufficient base fertilizer, lack of water, and nitrogen deficiency will directly affect the ability of mother plants to produce runners. Solution: Pay attention to soil moisture conditions, irrigate lightly and frequently to keep the seedbed soil moist. Additionally, fertilize according to the growth of the plants, maintain nutrient balance, apply thin fertilization frequently, and pay attention to supplementing moderate amounts of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer and root-promoting fertilizers.
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Effect of Growth Regulators: Proper use of growth regulators can promote flower bud differentiation and cultivate robust seedlings. However, improper use of growth regulators can also affect the emergence of runners in strawberry seedlings. Solution: Gibberellin usually promotes the emergence of runners in strawberry varieties with low runner production and low reproduction rates. It is advisable to spray during the leaf expansion to early budding stage, and the optimal spraying concentration is 50-70 ppm.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the failure of strawberry seedlings to produce runners is caused by various factors. It is essential to identify the reasons promptly and address them accordingly. After the emergence of runners in strawberry seedlings, timely work on runner training and suppression should be done to distribute the daughter plants of the runners as evenly as possible.
