If you’re buying Florida strawberries, chances are they’re one of three varieties developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma.
That’s where strawberry breeder Vance Whitaker and a team of about 15 researchers continue their work to create flavorful berries with good color, size and disease resistance that will hold up well during their trip to the supermarket and continue to maintain freshness on produce shelves.
To the average consumer, a strawberry is a strawberry, Whitaker said. But most supermarket produce buyers are aware of subtle differences in flavor and other qualities, and they seek out specific varieties.
The dominant variety now grown in Florida is Florida Brilliance, which was released in 2017 and replaced Florida Radiance in the No. 1 spot. It is a “great workhorse variety” that is disease resistant, easier to grow than other varieties and has a great gloss, which inspired its name, Whitaker said.
The variety accounts for about 60% of the state’s strawberry acreage.
Medallion, released in 2020, has been increasing in popularity and is the state’s best-tasting strawberry, being sweet with a fruity aroma, Whitaker said.
Medallion is trickier to grow than many other varieties but is an early producer, he said. It makes up about 20% of the state’s strawberry acreage.
The early, high-yielding Sweet Sensation was released in 2013, but acreage seems to be sliding, Whitaker said.
Pineberries — white strawberries that take on a pink blush as they ripen — account for 350 acres, or 3%, of Florida’s strawberry acreage this year. Trade-named Pearl, pineberries are sold under a couple of different names, like Pink-A-Boo from Plant City, Fla.-based Wish Farms.
“It’s something new and interesting, and it feels like it’s here to stay,” Whitaker said.
The university is working on two numbered varieties to be released soon.
One is similar to Florida Brilliance but with better disease resistance, flavor and size, he said. The second tastes like Medallion but is more resistant to Pestalotia disease, which has shown up in some growing operations in the state.
They’ll be planted next fall and will be available commercially for the 2024-25 season, he said.
