Propagation season and method influence stock plant production and quality in ‘Taoyuan No. 3’ Strawberry

Information on the interaction between propagation season and propagation method for ‘Taoyuan No. 3’ strawberry under subtropical tunnel conditions is limited, despite its importance for nursery management and daughter plant production. We aimed to determine the effects of propagation season and method on stock plant performance and subsequent daughter plant production. First-order runner plants were propagated by layering or runner-tip cutting during early-, mid-, and late-season periods. Propagation efficiency, stock-plant growth, and daughter-plant production were evaluated. Runner-tip cutting generally produced more runners (up to 1.80 per nursery stock plant), whereas layering resulted in higher survival rates (90%–100% vs. 53%–91%). Seasonal responses differed between methods. In the subsequent season, early-season stock plants produced the highest numbers of surviving (36.1–38.1) and commercial-standard (25.5–27.0) daughter plants per stock plant. Early-season propagation maximized commercial-standard daughter plant production. Runner-tip cutting may be a practical alternative for delayed propagation, under optimized conditions.