Verdi

Verdi (was FE1711) is a June-bearing selection from the Fresh Forward programme. It produces bright to deep red berries with a remarkable glossy shine. Verdi also offers an amazing flavour: very juicy and deliciously sweet. Verdi produces large, conical fruits with a very neat and uniform appearance. Verdi has a good shelf life, which widens the range of sales channels.

Harvest

The first fruits produced by Verdi appear a few days before Sonata. Verdi maintains this advantage until deep into the second half of the harvesting period. The total yield is ultimately slightly lower than Sonata in conventional cultivation systems.

Appearance

The long, conical berries of the Verdi are large, clean and uniform in shape at the onset of harvest. In the second half of the harvesting period, the berries are smaller and shorter. Verdi produces berries of a somewhat dark colour. In open cultivation systems the berries on this newcomer are bright red to dark red. This means that colour of the Verdi develops well in greenhouse conditions. This variety has a truly unique shine. The fruits are firmer than Sonata. The fruit skin is slightly more vulnerable than a variety such as Sonata. Very juicy and deliciously sweet with a hint of sourness is the best way to describe the flavour of Verdi . Verdi has a recognisable aroma, that is best compared to that of blackcurrants. An absolute bonus offered by Verdi is its shelf life. The fruits retain their characteristic glossy shine for a long time.

Plant characteristics

The plant of Verdi is healthy and robust. The leaves are shiny, pale green and serrated. The late branching clusters, that contain an average of eight flowers, have a good length, but stay under the foliage canopy under normal cultivation conditions. We recommend providing enough support for the clusters if the plants are grown in raised gutter systems.

Sensitivity to disease and stress

The crop is resistant to Phytophthora cactorum and also copes well with Verticillium and mildew. FE-1711 can occasionally show discolouration caused by a possible iron or nitrogen deficiency. The summer of 2018 showed the variety to be heat tolerant.

There’s no doubt: Verdi is an earlymid-season June-bearer that should be able to compete with varieties such as Darselect, Malling Centenary and Honeoye!

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