Fruit Today magazine talked to the Manager of Fresas Nuevos Materiales, Juan Manuel Arenas, about the Spanish genetics and variety development company that has given the Spanish berry sector the chance to be amongst the top plant breeders in the world.
What are Fresas Nuevos Materiales’ conclusions regarding the 2021-22 campaign?
We have a campaign marked weather-wise by a warm autumn-winter and a spring with heavy rainfall, and FNM’s varieties have shown, once again, reliable behaviour, adapted to the agricultural weather conditions in the province of Huelva. Our selection fields established in the different production areas allow us to offer materials that are best suited to the farmers’ requirements.
The IFAPA has just carried out a study in which it talks about the suitability of your materials.
Yes, indeed. In its study ‘Evaluation of characters linked to production in strawberry varieties’ it comments how Rociera FNM and Marisma FNM have once again stood out as the varieties tested with greater early production at the end of February and the end of March, as well as the greatest total production in conventional cultivation conditions.
Are both varieties suitable in all senses for all the cultivation systems tested?
Specifically, Marisma FNM has been seen to have a highly productive behaviour in all the systems evaluated. Here, I am referring to crops without disinfection, crops without soil and ecological crops. It is a very reliable, extra-early variety in any cultivation conditions.
And what can you tell me about Marisma and Rociera regarding the quality of their fruit?
According to the same report, Marisma is the tested variety with the greatest firmness in all the cultivation conditions evaluated, and Rociera stood out for its high brix score at any point of the campaign and cultivation environment.
How does Fresas Nuevos Materiales see the future regarding the current European Directive for a sustainable use of plant protection products?
We believe that the genetics of Fresas Nuevos Materiales allow us to look to the future with anticipation and convinced that they are a very useful tool for farmers and marketers to offer consumers quality produce.
They are selected materials, adapted to our cultivation conditions, which we believe will help the common European goal of decreasing the use of plant protection products in 2030.
