Strawberry
Cultivars
The cultivar choice depends on:
- yield
- hardiness
- disease and insect resistance
- consumer acceptance
Some cultivars are widely adapted in the prairie area (eg.) Kent, is noted for its winter hardiness in some parts of the Prairies. Newer strawberry cultivars have improved disease resistance.
In selecting a strawberry cultivar for a particular farm, growers should consult their local variety test results. Cultivars respond differently to minor climatic and soil conditions, so growers should test cultivars prior to wide scale adoption. Only those that do well should be selected for their farm situation. A blend of early, mid and late season cultivators can extend the harvest period and spread risk.
Everbearers
This type is not recommended for commercial production because:
- Cost of production per hectare is high with more plants and hand labour required.
- Ability to produce runners is limited.
- Fruit quality is inferior.
A high yielding cultivar with large fruit but poor shelf like is Fort Laramie.
Day Neutrals
Based on yields, Fern and Seascape have a proven track record on the Prairies.
Fern
- medium to high yielding
- good hardiness
- attractive, firm fruit
- good texture and flavour
- not strong vegetatively
- more difficult to obtain stock, older variety
Seascape
- good hardiness
- good productivity
- firm fruit, bright red, good flavour & size
- susceptible to mildew
June Bearers
Traditionally, Kent and Glooscap made up a majority of the planted acres. Today, these two types are planted with many other newer cultivars. Cultivars commonly grown in Manitoba include:
Veestar
Early, vigorous, productive, large berry, medium red, firm, good flavor, excellent for U-Pick and fresh market.
Sable
Early, winter hardy, productive, large berry, bright red, medium firm with good flavor.
Evangeline
Early, fruit produced on stiff, upright stalks with good yield, berries are conic, firm and have good size.
Annapolis
Early, vigorous, very good yield, very large berry, bright red, firm, good flavor.
Honeoye
Early-mid, vigorous, high yield, very large berry, bright red, firm, excellent flavor.
Cavendish
Early mid-season, high yield, large berry, bright red, excellent flavor.
Brunswick
Early mid-season, berries are large attractive and uniform in color and shape.
Glooscap
Mid-season, vigorous, good flavor, large dark red fruit, freezes well.
Kent
Mid-season, vigorous, high yield, very large berry, dark red throughout, firm, good flavor, very good quality.
Sappire
Mid-season-Late, new variety from Ontario, high yield, large berry, very good quality, bright color, moderate resistance to leaf scorch and powdery mildew.
Mira
Mid-season, high yield, very large berry, bright red, medium firm, fair to good flavor, may be tart, useful for shipping.
Sparkle
Late, vigorous, very good yield, medium size berry, crimson red, medium soft, excellent flavor, high quality, freezes well.
Late, vigorous, very good yield, medium size berry, dark red, medium firm, excellent flavor, good quality, freezes well.
Late, new variety from Ontario, high yield, large to very large berries, bright color, moderate resistance to leaf scorch and powdery mildew.
Gov. Simcoe
Late, high yield, firm berry, bright color.
Cabot
Late, very large berry, juicy, suitable for U-Pick and direct sales.
Jewel
Late, vigorous, large berry, firm, excellent flavor, excellent quality.
New Cultivars
New cultivars showing better disease resistance, fruit characteristics, specific environmental tolerances and yield increases are being released periodically. Both day neutral and June bearing crosses are presently under test. Growers are cautioned to try only a small planting before adopting new cultivars for general production at their site.