Characteristics

• Greenhouses and table top
• Large, juicy fruit
• High 1st Class yield
• Very shiny
• High picking -rate

Who wouldn’t enjoy that: beautiful, large, shiny red strawberries to remind you of a warm summer day when the weather turns wintry. That’s possible with Opera, a new variety from Fresh Forward’s breeding programme. Opera combines a range of exceptional characteristics such as large fruit, a beautiful shine, a very high picking rate and good colouring of the fruit, even in late autumn. These characteristics make Opera a perfect alternative to Elsanta in a double cropping system.

Cultivation

Opera is a midseason short day variety whose harvest period starts around the same time as that of Elsanta and Sonata. Opera requires little cold in a double cropping system, and therefore starts its second flowering and harvest early in the next year. Due to its long flower trusses and upright plant habit, the flower trusses are easily separated from the leaves. Additionally, dead leaves are easily removed during the dormant period in winter. These factors make Opera a variety that requires little crop maintenance. The crops are very vital, with little risk of diseases. Opera is fairly tolerant to crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) and moderately susceptible to powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis). Besides its suitability for the greenhouse, Opera can also be grown on table tops. The fruit will then retain their large size, taste and shiny skin even at summery temperatures.

Harvest

The pollen rich flowers are highly attractive to pollinators. The long flower stalks emerge at an even rate, resulting in an excellent spread of the harvest. Even the last fruits of Opera grow to a good size, which results in a long harvest period. The average fruit weight of Opera is very high throughout the harvest period, resulting in a high percentage of class I fruit and a very high picking rate.

Retail

Opera produces large, juicy strawberries with a very shiny skin, that retain their dark red colour even during short days with little light and warmth. This guarantees appealing strawberries on the shelves throughout the more difficult winter season and offers a major advantage for retailers.