New strawberry varieties on the way – tastier, cheaper, better for the planet, UC Davis says

Several new types of California-developed strawberries will need less water, fertilizer and pesticides – and experts on Ventura County’s top crop say that could be a good combination for local growers.

The Public Strawberry Breeding Program at UC Davis just announced five new varieties that will be on the market in the fall and are expected to benefit farmers, sellers and consumers alike.

The UC Davis program has been around since the 1930s and has created 60 patented varieties of strawberries sold nationwide, according to the university. The program’s strawberry “pedigrees” have become so common, there’s a good chance you’ve tried them already.

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“These new varieties are intrinsically different from the ones they replace,” said Steve Knapp, professor and director of the program. “After more than three years of field tests, we’re seeing higher yields, greater disease resistance and better quality after harvest.”

In Ventura County, strawberries brought in $654.3 million in 2017, the most recent figures available.

Local growers like Tamai Family Farms believe it never hurts to have new varieties.

“At the end of the day, the taste of strawberries is the most important thing,” said Jason Tamai. “If it doesn’t compromise taste and flavor of strawberries. I am all for whatever improvement can be made.”

Other local growers such as Marshall McCall from The Abundant Table said newer varieties could could replace older ones that aren’t as useful.

More importantly, the new varieties are less vulnerable to pests.  

Ed Williams, Ventura County agricultural commissioner, also agrees with local growers. He says the new varieties should cost less to produce, so growers should be able to get a better overall return.

“Farmers might be even able to offer lower prices in the future potentially,” he said. “As long the production level is good and as long as the quality and the taste is acceptable to customers, they sound great.”

The U.S. is the world’s largest strawberry producer, and more than 90% of the nation’s crop grows in the cool fields along California’s coast, including the Oxnard Plain. The university said 60% of California strawberries are varieties developed at UC Davis.

The new varieties promise to reduce costs, improve environmental sustainability and enhance flavor.

UC Davis has been experimenting with new breeds for three years, said program scientist Glenn Cole. Over the years, Cole and his partners took advantage of the program’s natural diversity of breeds, he said, and combined traditional breeding methods with advanced DNA genotyping techniques to identify and select each breed’s best traits.

Cole said the team has been working hard to perfect the balance of sugar and acid in their strawberries. “They look good and people want to buy them … but there’s also a much bigger emphasis on the consumer’s sensory expectations,” Cole said. “We’ve currently got academic studies looking at a lot of genetic resources to (enhance) aroma.”

The new breeds also have enhanced genetic resistance to common strawberry diseases, such as soil-borne pathogens.

“Pesticides and fumigants used to control some of the diseases and pests that were problematic for strawberries, but EPA – the Environmental Protection Agency – doesn’t allow people to use (some of them) any more,” Cole said. “And of course there’s more people that are going to organic culture, so having disease-resistant cultivars for organic growing is also critical.”

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Each variety was created with a specific purpose and for a specific climate. Two of the varieties – Moxie and Royal Royce – are set to reduce labor costs by up to $5,000 an acre, with a yield increase of 29 percent over their UC Davis predecessors, according to the release. They sprout fewer plant runners, stems that develop into roots and require additional labor because they must be constantly cut back, according to Cole. He said this will likely reduce the price consumers pay, as well.

“Runners are a huge expense,” explained Greg France, a longtime California strawberry commissioner and family farmer from Santa Maria. “We have to hire labor throughout the season just to cut back the runners. These new varieties will be a big deal for us.”

The five varieties the program will release cover nearly every season. Moxie, Royal Royce and a third breed, Valiant, thrive in warm summer climates, while Victor and Warrior grow best along the coast in colder temperatures. However, Cole said the team is still working to ensure that large, flavorful and firm strawberries are available year-round.

He said the program plans to make two more varieties available by 2020 to cover months when berries are harder to grow. Another less tasty UC variety named Portola used to cover that growing segment, according to Cole, but the team thinks it’s time to find a replacement.

“So we’re looking at a targeted release of something that tastes better, “ Cole said. “It’s exciting, and It’s been a few years since the last releases, and we think that these new varieties will address some of the needs that growers have and affect the industry.”

From reports by The Star's Mo Jazi and Tribune Content Agency