On Tuesday 10 September, Coöperatie Hoogstraten hosted its annual variety day, where growers and otherwise interested parties could come and assess the cooperative's available strawberry varieties.
The focus of this edition was mainly on perpetual strawberry varieties, a shift from the spring edition, where the emphasis was mainly on June-bearing varieties. "The variety day was well attended, with around 70 participants actively giving their assessment, in addition to several visitors who only came to watch and taste," explained Michiel Vermeiren of Coöperatie Hoogstraten.
Everbearers
Various strawberry varieties were exhibited during the variety day, all from rack cultivation on substrate. Among the varieties presented were the popular Elsanta, Falco, Florice, Lady Emma, Karima, and Murano, and a trial variety of June bearers not yet commercially available. "We chose to focus more on ever-bearing varieties this time," Michiel explains.
"In spring, the focus was on June-bearers, but at this point in the year, we are working more with everbearers. Moreover, we see a shift within the crop. Whereas last season we were still with a ratio of 12% ever bearers versus 88% June-bearers in volume, this year we see a ratio of 30% versus 70% respectively. A change driven by the need for flatter working and growing patterns," he explains. "By working more with everbearers, growers can achieve a more constant harvest and labor planning."
Three boxes
The variety day offered growers and visitors the chance not only to see the strawberries but also to taste and smell them. For this, Coöperatie Hoogstraten uses a system with three different types of boxes. "Firstly, the presentation box, whose strawberries are purely for visual assessment. Then a tasting box, for testing the taste of the strawberries, and finally a shelf-life box, where the strawberries are harvested on the Thursday before variety day and stored in a special shelf-life cell. This gives a realistic picture of how the fruit develops under different conditions, and it makes the differences between the varieties visible."
The results of the variety day are currently being processed in cooperation with the Hoogstraten Trial Centre. "We are analyzing the findings and taking them into discussions with our growers and trading partners," Michiel concludes.
For more information:
Michiel Vermeiren
Cooperative Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
2320 Hoogstraten, Belgium
Tel: +32 33 40 02 11
[email protected]
www.hoogstraten.eu