US: New varieties help Florida strawberry growers

Published 2024년 11월 14일

Tridge summary

Florida strawberry growers are working to ensure a good harvest season despite hurricanes Helene and Milton. They have planted new varieties that resist root rot, which could be particularly beneficial given the high rainfall and wet soil conditions. These new varieties, Ember and Encore, make up about 10% of the 14,000 acres of strawberries in Florida, but this is expected to increase in future years. The breeding program, which took about four years to develop these new cultivars, is supported by the growers and is hopeful for a typical Florida strawberry season.

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Original content

Following hurricanes Helene and Milton, Florida growers are showing resilience in ensuring fresh Florida strawberries are available this season. Through hard work and efficient problem-solving, Florida growers have planted the fruits consumers enjoy from December through April. Kenneth Parker, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, works regularly with University of Florida breeders, Extension agents and growers to help communicate the needs of the Florida strawberry industry. Growers are doing their best to ensure Florida strawberries are available for the holidays. “As a general rule of thumb, Florida growers aim to complete planting each year around the first of November,” Parker said in a news release. “For the most part, the industry has held to this standard through the hard work, dedication and perseverance of both our growers and farmworkers.” Following the storms, some areas required more effort to get the fields back in working order to ...

Source: Fruitgrowersnews