|
Parentage
Delia (formerly EM835) was bred at East Malling
Research by Dr David Simpson and his team. It was selected in 1995
from the progeny of a cross between Honeoye and ITA 80-51-1, a
breeding line from Italy. Fruit Quality
The berries are very attractive with a bright orange red colour and
glossy skin finish. The shape is very regular conical and eating
quality is similar to Honeoye, juicy but slightly acidic. Shelf life
is very good, due to the bright colour and good firmness.
Yield and Fruit Size Delia was trialled at East
Malling in 1997-98, 1999-2000 and 2004. In the first trial fruit
quality was excellent but yield was low, due to poor establishment.
In the two subsequent trials yield and fruit size has been slightly
better than Elsanta and percentage class 1 fruit has been >90% in
all trials, which is superior to Elsanta. Delia maintains large
fruit size well on two year old plants, when average berry size is
significantly larger than Elsanta. This characteristic, combined
with low percentage waste, results in rapid and economical
harvesting. Season
The season of
Delia is approximately seven days earlier than Elsanta for 50%
harvest Marketing Suitability
Delia is an early season dessert type with good fruit quality that
is suitable for all types of retail outlets. Plant
Characteristics Plants have moderate vigour with
upright habit and the fruit is well displayed. In trials Delia has
performed better when established from a misted tip rather than as a
60 day plant. Runner production is good. Disease
resistance Delia does not have strong resistance
to any of the common strawberry diseases and a spray programme
equivalent to that used for Elsanta is recommended. Soil
sterilisation is necessary where there is a risk from Verticillium
wilt. Use of the variety
Delia
offers growers the opportunity to start the season with a productive
variety that has a very attractive appearance, excellent shelf life
and comes on stream one week earlier than Elsanta. To take advantage
of the early season, Delia should be protected from spring frosts,
as flowering is also early.
Accreditations
The breeding of this variety was jointly
funded by the
Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra),
MEIOSIS Ltd. and the East Malling Trust for Horticultural Research.
The trialling of this variety was funded by MEIOSIS Ltd
and the Horticultural Development Council
(HDC).
|
