Ecophysiological parameters of strawberry leaves as a part of its adaptive potential

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.), a hybrid of two american species – Chilean strawberry (F. cilhoensis Duch.) and Virginia strawberry (F. virginiana Duch.), is cultivated almost in all the continents, excluding Antarctica, as one of the most popular berry crops. Its fruits, used fresh and processed, are distinguished by their excellent taste and aroma. Their chemical composition makes strawberries a functional food, for which anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and other effects have been identified. Strawberry is represented in the global assortment by more than 2000 varieties. The 131 varieties were recommended for cultivation in the Russia, 2024. The high varietal diversity of strawberries is determined both by the soil and climatic conditions of their cultivation and the lack of varieties that are simultaneously well adapted to various growing conditions, high-yielded, and produce high-quality berries. Over the past 20 years, 124 varieties of garden strawberries of domestic and foreign selection have been studied in the Zhigulevskie Gardens Research Institute. In the Samara Region, weather fluctuations from favorable to severe abiotic stresses (frost, drought, and extremely high temperatures) make it important to assess the stress tolerance of strawberry varieties. Drought, that combines high temperatures and moisture deficits, is known to affect leaves state, reducing water content and causing osmolytics accumulation, including free amino acids. This article analyzes the results of assessing of free amino acids accumulation in mature leaves phytomass of 16 strawberry varieties for periods with different stress levels (July 2022 and 2024).