Screening and selection of strawberries resistant to Fusarium wilt using cultivars and breeding populations

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is one of the most economically important horticultural crops in Korea, accounting for the largest share of vegetable production with an estimated market value of approximately KRW 1.5 trillion.In recent years, fresh strawberries have become a major export commodity, particularly to Southeast Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.However, most newly developed cultivars following 'Seolhyang'including 'Maehyang', 'Kingsberry', and 'Highberry'-while exhibiting superior fruit quality and consumer appeal, remain highly susceptible to soil-borne diseases, posing challenges to stable cultivation.Among these, strawberry wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.fragariae is a major constraint to sustainable production, as the pathogen invades the vascular system, leading to wilting and plant death, and can cause yield losses of up to 30% under warm and humid conditions intensified by climate change.In this study, 93 strawberry lines, including domestic and international cultivars and breeding populations, were evaluated for resistance to Fusarium wilt.Disease severity was assessed for four weeks after inoculation on a 0 -5 scale based on symptom progression.A wide range of variation in disease response was observed: 37 resistant (R) lines (0.0 -0.9), 39 moderately resistant (MR) lines (0.98 -2.08), 12 susceptible (S) lines (2.24 -3.25), and 5 severely susceptible (SS) lines (3.75 -4.49).The identification of highly resistant lines provides valuable genetic resources for the development of new Fusarium wilt-resistant strawberry cultivars with enhanced horticultural performance and field adaptability.