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Parentage
Judibell (formerly EM965) was bred at East Malling Research and was
first selected in 1996. It has a complex pedigree, which includes
Pandora and Elsanta as grandparents.
Fruit Quality
Berries are attractive with a uniform shape and orange red skin
colour. Skin and flesh are medium firm and the berries are juicy with
a pleasant flavour and higher brix than Elsanta (average 8.5).
Yield and Fruit Size
Plants produce a moderate yield and fruit size is similar to
Elsanta.
Season
Judibell has an exceptionally late season with 50% harvest
typically 35 days later than Elsanta. This late cropping is the result
of Judibell having an extended period of dormancy. In most seasons the
plants remain dormant until mid May in southern England.
Marketing Suitability
Judibell will be most suitable for growers in the pick your own and
direct sales sector.
Plant Characteristics
The plants have intermediate vigour and are quite dense. The fruit
is partially hidden by the foliage. Runner production is late to
commence and thus less prolific than most other June bearer varieties.
Disease resistance
In tests at East Malling plants have shown good resistance to wilt
(Verticillium dahliae) and crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) combined
with partial resistance to powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) and
black spot (Colletotrichum acutatum).
Use of the variety
The exceptionally late season of Judibell gives it a unique slot in
the cropping calendar, being later than Sophie and Pandora. The
variety has good all round disease resistance and should perform well
in traditional, low input growing systems. In southern England most
production will typically be in the second half of July and Judibell
thus offers growers a convenient opportunity for extending their
season after Florence. This will be particularly useful for growers in
the pick your own and direct sales sector.
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).
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