Evaluation of strawberry cultivars for cold tolerance under low and high tunnel systems

Strawberry production faces major challenges under adverse climatic conditions, particularly freezing temperatures. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of high (HT) and low (LT) tunnels in protecting strawberry cultivars from low-temperature stress. Moreover, the genetic diversity among the three cultivars using molecular markers was assessed. Results showed that total fruit yield was higher under HT than under LT for all three tested cultivars. This study evaluated the effectiveness of both RAPD and DAMD assays in differentiating among tested strawberry cultivars. Although RAPD primers generated a greater number of amplified fragments, the DAMD technique exhibited higher polymorphism and more unique markers. On the other hand, the maximum genetic linkage was recorded between ‘Fortuna’ and ‘Florida’, and the minimum distance was scored between ‘Festival’ and ‘Fortuna’, as well as ‘Festival’ and ‘Florida’ based on both markers. In conclusion, the results revealed that the fruit yields of three cultivars were higher under HT compared with LT. Furthermore, RAPD and DAMD markers were effective in distinguishing among three strawberry cultivars with different degrees of genetic linkage. These techniques will provide strong certification and characterization of strawberry cultivars, which will support future breeding efforts.