In strawberry production, the combination of a high productive performance and fruits with desirable physicochemical characteristics requires the use of plants with a good quality and high initial vigor. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of plants with different crown diameters on the productive performance and fruit quality of strawberry plants of the cultivar ‘Pircinque’ (Short Day). The study was conducted in two evaluation cycles (2016/2017 and 2017/2018). The experimental design was divided into randomized blocks, with four repetitions, and plots consisting of 20 plants. This study evaluated the crown diameters of plants of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 mm. The productivity and number of fruit values increased significantly by 57% with larger caliber plants, which also provided precocity of productivity. The use of more vigorous plants also favored the production of fruits with higher soluble solids/titratable acidity ratios (+28%) and with epidermis coloration closer to intense red (−4.3%). For the cultivar ‘Pircinque’, plant crown diameters between 15 and 17 mm are the most favorable because they condition the best productive performances in combination with precocity and a good fruit quality.

In the search for more efficient production systems, many changes have occurred in the strawberry production sector. Planting density is one of the management techniques that most interferes with the quality of fruits and production aspects. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different planting densities on the photosynthetic characteristics, fruit quality, and production of the strawberry cultivar Pircinque. The study was conducted in the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 harvests in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The treatments consisted of plant spacing of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four blocks and plots of 20 plants. Plant spacing interfered with fruit quality, photosynthetic efficiency, production, productivity, and economic return. Due to the fruits of Pircinque having a higher quality than other cultivars, the planting spacing between 5 and 15 cm allows meeting the fruit’s main production and quality requirements. However, it is up to the producer to adapt the management if opting for higher planting densities, which allow for a greater economic viability of the business.

The productivity and quality of strawberries in southern Brazil are affected by the lack of cultivars adapted to different regions and by their susceptibility to diseases. This study aims to evaluate the resistance of cultivars and genotypes to mycosphaerella leaf spot (MLS) and powdery mildew (PM) and the quantitative and qualitative fruit agronomic parameters (FAP) of strawberries in southern Brazil during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 growing seasons. The incidence and severity of MLS and PM were evaluated from the beginning of symptoms appearances until harvest. Cultivars and genotypes were compared based on the area under the incidence (AUIDPC) and severity (AUSDPC) disease progress curves and the quantitative and qualitative FAP. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, and multivariate analysis was performed using principal component analysis (PCA). The cultivars Irma, Bellalinda, Kiara, Jonica, and Pircinque exhibited the lowest values of AUIDPC and AUSDPC, demonstrating the highest resistance to MLS and PM. The cultivars Kiara, Jonica, and Pircinque, along with genotype FRF LAM 119.1, showed the best qualitative and quantitative FAP. However, the FRF LAM 119.1 genotype exhibited the highest values of AUIDPC and AUSDPC, indicating high susceptibility to MLS and PM. CPA data indicated that the cultivars Kiara, Jonica, and Pircinque had the highest level of resistance, which was associated with the highest total fruit yield and the best fruit quality in terms of skin color and flavor balance. Kiara, Jonica, and Pircinque proved to be good options for strawberry production in southern Brazil, combining resistance to MLS and PM with good FAP.

Estudos que avaliem a qualidade do fruto do morangueiro, em função dos diferentes materiais genéticos e lugares de cultivo, ainda são escassos no Brasil. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a qualidade de frutos de genótipos avançados de morangueiro com base genética italiana, no munícipio de Farroupilha, pertencente a região Serrana do Rio Grande do Sul. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições e 10 plantas por parcela, em dois ciclos produtivos, contendo 28 tratamentos no ciclo 2018/2019 e 39 tratamentos no ciclo 2019/2020. Foram quantificadas as variáveis: massa fresca de frutos comerciais (g fruto^-1); luminosidade e croma da epiderme; ângulo hue; firmeza de polpa (g); teor de acidez titulável (g 100g^-1 de ácido cítrico); teor de sólidos solúveis (°Brix) e relação sólidos solúveis/ acidez titulável (SS/AT). Dentre os genótipos avaliados, os genótipos FRF PIR 075.08, ITA 10.128.09 e FRF FC 104.01, apresentam qualidade superior de fruto, demonstrando maior potencial para se tornarem cultivares recomendadas para o cultivo na região Serrana do Rio Grande do Sul, juntamente com a já cultivar Pircinque.