Breeding report of a new early-ripening and pink-peel strawberry cultivar Zhefenmei No. 2

Zhefenmei No. 2 (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) is an early-maturing and pink-peel strawberry cultivar selected from a cross between Kaorino and Yuexin. 223 hybrid seeds were obtained in March 2015 and finally 136 seedlings were obtained in early September, in Hangzhou. From November 2015 to April 2016, 6 superior plants were initially selected based upon the plant growth vigor, disease resistance, mature period, fruit size and fruit quality, and then they were propagated for further test. Among them, the superior line 15-20-17 was further screened out based on the trail from the end of 2016 to the beginning of 2017. During the next growing season, 2017 to 2018, the line 15-20-17 showed early-maturing, beautiful fruit color, consistent fruit shape, good flavor, and high fruit firmness. During the regional adaptability testing at three sites (including Linhai, Jiande and Fuyang) from 2018 to 2023, the traits of the superior line 15-20-17 were stable and consistent, and it was finally identified as a new strain named Zhefenmei No. 2. It obtained the authorization for new plant variety rights in September 2023 (No. CNA20191000753). The plant had moderate growth vigor with 21.3 cm in height and 32.8 cm in expansion diameter. The fruit was conical-shaped with pink-peel color and white flesh, the fruit cavity was absent or small. The fruit texture was fine, the flavor was fragrant and sweet. The average mass of the fruits on the first-class was 30.0 g and 16.9 g on the whole plant. The fruit shape index was 1.29, and the firmness is 417.5 g·cm-2. The average soluble solids content was 12.2%, the total sugar content was 74.19 mg·g-1, the total acidity content was 0.80%, the vitamin C content was 645.66 μg·g-1, the amino acid content was 2.03 mg·g-1, and the anthocyanin content was 6.30 μg·g-1. The plants were moderately resistant to powdery mildew and gray mold, but susceptible to Anthracnose. Under the condition of facility forcing cultivation in Zhejiang Province, Zhefenmei No. 2 was appropriate to transplant from early to mid-September, the budding period was in late October, the full-blooming period was in early November, and the harvest time was in mid-December. This variety flowered continuously, produced high yield, and would be suitable for forcing cultivation under protected conditions in most areas of China.