Nova Siri Genetics believes strawberry research should meet the demand for hardy, early and productive varieties as strategic qualities. The market requires quality, healthiness, organoleptic characteristics and good shelf life also after the harvest.

Thus, the company's genetic improvement project aims at producers in the Mediterranean areas who use varieties with low cold requirements and who need complementary products that can extend the availability on the market.

Without going further, within its offer, Nova Siri Genetics presents the NSG 203 variety (marketed under the Marimbella® brand) as a novelty for this campaign. It allows to satisfy the demand of those producers who need an early and productive variety for organic or zero-residue crops, designed for an increasingly widespread consumer profile. "This cultivar is very promising because it guarantees abundant production in the winter months, excellent fruit quality and shelf-life in the post-harvest", underlines Nicola Tufaro, breeder of Nova Siri Genetics.

Today the consumer demands a healthy product, with flavor, aroma and that keeps these qualities for a few days. Shelf life represents a substantial challenge when the consumer markets are very far from the production facilities and a product like the strawberry must keep its freshness intact, even after several days of harvest. For this reason, shelf-life is essential, together with sustainability and organoleptic characteristics.

Nova Siri Genetics' breeding program also includes research for other berries such as blackberries and raspberries, although the company currently focuses on researching new strawberry varieties. Indeed, they will soon launch an extra-early line.

NSG Variety Club

Nova Siri Genetics has created a Strawberry Variety Club aimed at all the players in the supply chain: nurserymen, producers, and distributors as a project to improve the sector. The goal is to develop an offer focused on brands that position themselves according to different consumer profiles. The offer of innovative varieties is supported by training and information activities, as well as by marketing and communication initiatives aimed at B2B and B2C markets, to differentiate and enhance the product in the eyes of consumers.

The project started in February with the launch of the Rossetta® brand, which identifies the premium range of the Club's offer. Rossetta®, which is associated with the NSG 120 variety, stands out for having a good shelf-life, medium-sized large, uniform medium red color, good pulp consistency and high level of Brix degrees.

Source: Mercados