Scientists in the county have served up what they believe is set to be a game-changer strawberry - the traditional treat of tennis tournament Wimbledon. The Malling Ace variety could transform the fortunes of growers in the UK by providing fruit throughout the year while, they claim, retaining the quality of "the best June strawberries".
First selected in 2015 and trialed in 2017 at the horticultural research facility in East Malling, NIAB EMR, after successful commercial trials in 2019, the variety has now been fast-tracked to get it to market.
The variety, developed by the NIAB EMR team led by strawberry breeder Adam Whitehouse, is an ever-bearer that can crop consistently from May to September, and may even offer potential opportunities for vertical or urban farming as the industry looks towards novel production systems required in the future.
Growers currently plant ever-bearers to secure a later crop but it is June-bearers that traditionally peak during Wimbledon fortnight that offers the best quality strawberries.
Professor Mario Caccamo, managing director of NIAB EMR, said: “Malling Ace offers a real opportunity for growers to meet the increased demand for high-quality British-grown strawberries throughout the season. Although it is a couple of years until we will see Malling Ace on the supermarket’s shelves, we are already working with partner propagators to grow the variety and make available plants for growers soon.
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