Total Produce subsidiary Redeva is set to begin commercial production over the next 12 months of a new strawberry variety, named Red Princess, which has been specifically bred for northern European climates.
The variety has been undergoing trials across Scotland over the past two years and growers are understood to be ready to begin production with some 40,000 plants over the course of 2010.
According to Redeva’s UK breeder and trial coordinator, Irene Geoghegan, Red Princess, which is the first ever variety bred by Total Produce specifically for Scotland, has the potential to fill production gaps in the UK soft fruit season.
Mrs Geoghegan believes the strawberry, which has been found to develop better in northerly climates with shorter hours of sunshine, has the potential to be successfully produced in other northern European regions, such as Germany and Scandinavia.
Red Princess was developed through an intensive breeding programme, initially in southern England and then in Scotland, using everbearers over the past six years.
Mrs Geoghegan said: “The variety seems to prefer the Scottish climate and can give fruit from late May through, in some cases, until late October.”
“It’s a vigorous, prolific variety, with a nice pink-orange colour, a heart shape and average brix of between nine and 12.”
Red Princess, she added, had the potential to work as a “good, all-round variety”, which could benefit from the extended Scottish berry production season.
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