Improving hybrid populations via cross-breeding method and evaluation of their tolerance levels to drought

This research was conducted in a glass greenhouse and tissue culture laboratories located at the research and application areas of Cukurova University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, during the 2021-2023 growing periods. In the breeding program; 'Osmanlı', 'Kara', 'Tüylü', 'Albion', 'San Andreas', 'E22', 'Brillance' and 'Ananassa' were used as maternal parents and 'Albion', 'E22', 'San Andreas' and 'Tüylü' were used as pollinators. Nine different hybrid combinations were conducted by artificial hybridizations under controlled conditions. In this thesis, it was aimed to determine the drought tolerance level of F1 individuals derived by nine different hybridization combinations. For this purpose, artificial drought stress conditions were conducted for F1 hybrid individuals which were in vitro germinated with the application of PEG 6000 (Polyethylene glycol). After PEG treatment, the drought tolerance level of strawberry hybrids were screened based on shoot length, leaf area, number of shoots, shooting rate, chlorophyll concentration, and leaf temperature. As a result of the study, control and stressed plants were compared and the plants most resistant to drought were selected. According to a scale scoring, Kara x E22 (26x12) hybrid genotype had the highest score followed by a hybrid selected from 26 x 17 cross combination.