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Parentage
Sasha (formerly EM1159) was bred at East Malling Research from
the cross EM881 x Eros and was first selected in 1999.
Season
In the main-crop year the season is intermediate between Elsanta
and Florence.
Fruit Quality
Attractive berries with regular shape, good colour and acceptable
flavour. Shelf life slightly better than Elsanta but fruit is less
glossy. Berries are attractively heart shaped and mid-red in colour
but can have a downy finish if grown outdoors. The skin has similar
strength to Elsanta with a firm flesh. The berries maintain a good
size through the season. Flavour is sweet and juicy, but
occasionally weaker in hot weather. Brix levels are slightly higher
than Elsanta.
Yield and Fruit Size
High yield of large berries. Well suited for 60-day production.
Marketing Suitability
Sasha is suitable for all market outlets.
Plant Characteristics
Tall, erect plants with well displayed fruit. Excellent flower
quality with good pollen production. More vigorous than Elsanta.
Disease Resistance
Susceptible to wilt (Verticillium dahliae) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera
aphanis).
Use of the Variety
Sasha performs very well in table-top systems when it will
produce excellent yields from a relatively low planting density. In
trials it has performed particularly well in glasshouse production,
with high yields of large, uniform high quality berries. It is
important to keep close control of powdery mildew, which is most
easily achieved in glasshouse or tunnel production. Sasha has the
advantage of a longer harvesting season than Elsanta or Sonata.
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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