(Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier)
These strawberry plants produce medium yields of very large, often egg-sized, fruits. Ready for harvest late season, Valley Sunsets are valuable to growers for their ability to extend the harvest season.
Valley Sunset strawberries were commercially introduced in Canada in 2009 by the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Center in Kentville, Nova Scotia.
Breeder Andrew Jamieson, who developed the Valley Sunsets at the AFHRC, said that the extra week that these berries extend the strawberry growing season could increase strawberry revenues in Canada by 15%. Strawberries currently account for revenues of about $10 million in Atlantic Canada, according to a recent estimate by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
