Florida is the main supplier of strawberries in the United States in the extra-early segment, just as Huelva is in Europe. Both territories share shores with the same ocean, which provides an optimum climate for growing strawberries in an exclusive period on both continents. It is for this reason that Huelva has been chosen by Emco Cal to test the University of Florida's high precocity genetic program.
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"To be more specific, trials are being carried out on the farm of the Fres Capricho company in the framework of strawberry variety improvement programs that we represent worldwide," says Mamen Sánchez, technical director of Emco Cal, as we walk around the greenhouses near the town of El Rocío in Almonte.
"At the moment, around 500 varieties are being tested in trials that are at different stages. The goal is to select those that are better adapted to Huelva's conditions and which will deliver the best performance in terms of productivity, earliness, and post-harvest quality."
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"In the trials of advanced selections, that is, those that are already in the last phase before becoming commercial varieties, we have various varieties of white strawberries, which are one of Emco Cal's big bets," he says. "After the success of the premium brand Florida Pearl, we are already working on offering the market alternatives within the white strawberry segment with different characteristics and genetic improvements."
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"White strawberries are a truly premium fruit, and at the moment, there is a very limited supply, but the University of Florida is working on breeding new and improved white varieties to give this market segment a chance for further development and growth."
"These advanced selections share the same common characteristics that allow the material from the University of Florida to stand out: earliness, very high productivity, large calibers, high Brix, and a remarkably optimal shelf life."
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"Each variety is tested for several years and their performance is analyzed with state-of-the-art technology. At Emco Cal we have a computer tool for data collection developed specifically for this trial. Data is recorded in real time from the strawberries harvested throughout the season, allowing us to analyze the productivity curve and the parameters of the fruit produced by each variety tested, including Brix degrees, firmness, and shelf life. In fact, the fruit is subjected to several shelf-life tests throughout the year, at critical points in the season, to assess its durability, simulating the normal conditions it undergoes from the time it is harvested until it hits the supermarket shelves. This is how we ensure that growers are only offered the best material so that they can reap the greatest success," says Mamen Sánchez.
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"The spectacular flowering and excellent quality of the early Felicity-branded strawberries, together with the abundant production of Fortuna, make these varieties unique on the market," she says.
Florida varieties are, in fact, the most common in Huelva season after season, and each year, they are also among the most widely distributed in the province. "We have introduced new varieties such as the Felicity, which will be followed this year by the Encore and Ember. The Fortuna remains the variety of choice among growers in the province because of its earliness, stable productivity, and quality right up to the end of the season," says Mamen.
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"The flowering and the amount of early, premium quality fruit that the University of Florida's potential new varieties deliver per plant is spectacular and this is something that makes them truly unique compared to other varieties on the market," says Mamen as we walk past the clone verification fields, where all the clones from which the authorized nurseries multiply the Emco Cal strawberry plants are checked to guarantee that they are all true to the variety's type.
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"The Felicity is another of the strawberry varieties that is achieving great success because, apart from its quality and flavor, its production arrives extremely early. There is possibly no earlier variety currently on the market, and this gives the Felicfity a great advantage over the rest."
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"Among our remontant or day-neutral varieties, one of the most outstanding is the Beauty, which performs very well all over the Mediterranean and also allows for summer production in cooler areas. The Brilliance is another variety that has established itself as a key option in the Florida market, standing out for its earliness, high productivity and exceptional quality, and in suitable locations, it produces fruit all year round. Specially adapted for open ground cultivation, it offers optimum results at all stages and guarantees the supply of first-class fruit. The Sensation is another extra-early variety that is ideal for countries where strawberries are grown in the open ground, and it stands out for its extraordinary qualities in terms of flavor, firmness, and appearance," says Mamen.
"We also have, still in the first commercial phase, the new strawberry brand Encore, which is very early and very productive, with a large and very attractive fruit. It is already in the registration phase and we believe it will be very well accepted in Huelva." All these varieties are available globally for cultivation and marketing.
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"In addition to all the varieties from the University of Florida, we are also working with the varieties from the Masiá Ciscar program, of which Emco Cal is the global representative. Their program includes strawberries under the Palmeritas, Cleopatra and Leticia brands, as well as the Cozumel, a variety that arrives a little later, but is spectacular in terms of production and quality, ideal to cover the period from late January until the end of the season with fruit of extraordinary quality," says Mamen Sánchez.
"Emco Cal also has excellent raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry varieties, including the Kokanee raspberry, the Cupla blueberry, and the Danna blackberry. These varieties with low or no chilling requirements are available for cultivation by any growers interested in them."
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Around the greenhouses where Emco Cal is testing the varieties that will make up the strawberry range of the future, Fres Capricho is growing the varieties that are already a success in the greenhouses of Huelva and in markets across Europe. Both red and white strawberries are expected to take an increasingly important place in the market. "In Berlin this year, we have actually seen huge interest in our white strawberries from buyers from all over the world," says Mamen.
For more information:
Emco Cal
variety@emcocal.com
www.emcocal.com