THE UNITED-STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE STRAWBERRY BREEDING PROGRAM

The comprehensive USDA strawberry breeding program was started by Geor ge Darrow Tn Maryland In 1919-20. It continues today at three of six f ormer federal locations: Beltsville, Maryland; Corvallis, Oregon; and Poplarville, Mississippi (breeding has been discontinued at Glenn Dale MD, Carbondale, IL, and Cheyenne, WY). Cooperating scientists, grower s and nurseries are presently located in 24 states, three Canadian pro vinces and five countries. The Beltsville portion of the program origi nates strawberry cultivars intended for one or more of five broad east ern U.S. regions. Its emphasis is on combining disease and stress resi stance with superior fruit quality and productivity for the market out lets of each region. The Corvallis emphasis is on breeding productive, well-colored and fine-flavored procewsing cultivars for the Pacific N orthwest. The Poplarville program concentrates on producing shipping c ultivars highly resistant to anthracnose crown and fruit rots and adap ted to winter and early spring production areas. Seventy-four cultivar s and four anthracnose-resistant parent germplasm clones have been Int roduced by the USDA and its cooperators. The program has freely shared cultivar and parental germplasm and/or seed progenies worldwide durin g its entire history.