Strawberry Variety Horse Race

Do you know what makes Geoff Langford sparkle?

Varieties of plants. He loves the differences, the strengths, the eccentricities….. Basically, he delights in plant personalities.

Every year as the strawberry variety trial results roll in, he inputs the data, exclaims over the winners, tut-tuts the losers, and compares it all to years he has seen in the past, for which he has an excellent memory.

This spring, I thought we’d share the “horse race commentary” with you all as it unfolds.

‍

“Ooh, look at Ventana! That’s why it’s still around!”

“Hum, Fortuna looked a lot more promising in last year’s winter fruiting trial than it does this spring.”

“Moxie certainly isn’t early–we’ll have to see how it rates in the long race, post Christmas.”

“Wow, look at Warrior, it’s performing much better than it was last year!”

This last point about seasonal variability is important–it’s why many growers chose not to put their eggs all in one basket, and grow several varieties. Uncontrollable factors like natural winter chill achieved in Auckland and variable spring temperatures combine to boost or slow down varieties to different degrees, making picking a single reliable winner at the time of ordering plants from the nursery impossible.

Of course, there are two drivers to profitability–yield and price. The graph below shows wholesale price and explains why varieties that yield heavily earlier are winning in the “spring horse race.”

Stay tuned for more “trackside commentary” in the coming weeks.