Amelia (formerly EM1103) and Sallybright (formerly EM1296) will be launched on the Meiosis Ltd stand at the East Malling event.
Amelia is a late-season variety, which crops 12-15 days later than Elsanta and produces attractive, mid-red coloured, regular shaped berries, which have good firmness and shelf life.
The late cropping season, improved shelf life and berry colour of the fruit mean it is a viable alternative to Florence.
Sallybright crops slightly earlier than Elsanta and produces very regular shaped berries, which have an excellent flavour. The juicy berries are a glossy, red- to deep-red colour. The variety is best suited to the PYO and farm-sales market, and is unlikely to be taken up for the supermarket sector.
Both varieties have been named after people: Sallybright after EMR strawberry breeder David Simpson’s wife, pictured above holding her eponymous variety, and Amelia, the variety on the left, for grower Marion Regan’s daughter. Regan is from Hugh Lowe Farms.
Fruit Focus visitors will also be able to speak directly with EMR scientists and see research results on a guided field walk. Topics include botrytis control, raspberry cane midge pheromones, western flower thrips control, methyl bromide replacement in strawberry production and water-saving irrigation strategies to produce fruit with a more consistent flavour.
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