CU-Geneva fruit breeding program releases notably named strawberries

Small-fruit breeder Courtney Weber, Cornell assistant professor of horticultural sciences, shown among his 11,000 test seedlings, has released two varieties of strawberries from his breeding program -- the first releases since 1991. Joe Ogrodnick/NYSAES

By Linda McCandless

GENEVA, N.Y. -- To get the luscious strawberries that consumers want, fruit growers baby their plants. To get the same luscious fruit, strawberry breeder Courtney Weber could be accused of abusing his.

"I encourage diseases and insects to do their worst," said Weber, the assistant professor of horticultural sciences who directs the small fruit breeding program at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. "That way, when a new selection is finally released, growers can be assured their results will be even better than mine."

Weber officially released two new strawberries last week and named them L'Amour and Clancy, after his favorite authors.

"Common geographic names and anything remotely related to the color red have been used for other varieties," said Weber. He thought it would be easier for people to recognize new strawberry releases from Cornell if he changed to a new naming scheme. Strawberries with easy-to-remember names like King, Herriott, Steinbeck, Orwell, Twain, Cussler and Crichton are already in the pipeline. "No endorsement by the authors is intended or suggested," he noted.

Weber is reinvigorating a breeding program that has not released a strawberry since 1991. He currently has two acres of strawberries -- about 11,000 seedlings -- undergoing testing and evaluation. Most breeders are doing well if they get a new variety out of every 10,000 to 15,000 plants.

"Growers look for new varieties that fill a niche in the wholesale, retail or pick-your-own markets," said Weber. "They want good eating quality, with a decent shelf life, on a plant that holds its own in the field against the weather, the bugs and the diseases. They want berries that appeal to consumers and contribute to the bottom line."

Developing a new strawberry variety can take 10 to 15 years.

The fruit eating quality and flavor of L'Amour is very good, noted Weber. It fits well in the market currently served by Honeoye, a Station variety that was introduced in 1979. L'Amour was first selected for testing in 1994 under the name "NY 1829." A bright red, early-June-bearing hybrid, it is attractively long and conical, firm but not hard, with good winter hardiness and vigor.

Clancy is darker red than L'Amour, bears in late June and fruits for a late-season market that traditionally has been hard to fill because it is difficult to get a good eating berry that stays firm and holds up to hot weather. Clancy holds its berries high off the ground. This makes the berries less susceptible to the fungal diseases that usually attack late-season crops. Clancy was tested as "NYUS304B" and has good eating quality.

Both berries will be available to commercial and backyard growers in limited test quantities for 2004 and in larger quantities in 2005, through Nourse Farms, Indiana Berry and Plant Co. and StrawberryTyme Farms.