January 2021 - 8

Florida growing new 'Fifth
Berry' white strawberry
By Doug Ohlemeier
FGN Correspondent
As with Strawberry Fields Forever,
Florida growers are growing a new colored
strawberry to give them some ammunition
to recapture customers lost to other
growing regions.
Similar to the Beatles' " Fifth Beatle, "
growers are labeling white strawberries
as the Fifth Berry. The white strawberry
doesn't resemble the bright red berries
Florida growers are known for producing
in the winter.
Growers believe white strawberries
could revolutionize the category much
like the four Beatles transformed rock and
roll music in the 1960s. The white berry
with pink seeds joins the four leading
U.S. berries: strawberries, blueberries,
raspberries and blackberries.
In mid-2020, the University of Florida's
Pink-A-Boo white strawberries. Photos: Wish Farm
(UF) Gulf Coast Research and Education
Center in Wimauma, Florida, released
cultivar FL 16.78-109. The Florida berry is
large and firm enough to produce in large
quantities and withstand shipment to distant
markets while maintaining its sweet and
unique taste, said breeder Vance Whitaker.
Growers say the berry provides them new
weaponry which could help attract renewed
retailer interest. Within the last decade,
Florida strawberry growers have lost market
share in Texas and the Midwest to other
growing regions.
" It will help Florida differentiate itself
from other districts, " said Craig Casca,
executive officer and director of sales
for Red Blossom, based in Los Olivos,
California. " We think retail will be very
receptive to promoting these once we get
more volume in the future. "
The white berries, also known as
pineberries, possess a pink blush when
ripened and offer a sweet and unique taste.
Not related to pineapples, pineberries display
a hint of pineapple scent.
Growers characterize the berry as tasting
" very sweet, " like a strawberry-apricot blend
with a dense, unique texture. Whitaker and
his breeding team expect to give it a formal
name during the middle of the season.
This season, the white berries are being
produced in limited quantities. About
12 acres of trials are being grown by
commercial growers that will be sold in test
markets to retail and foodservice channels,
Whitaker said.
Wish Farms, one of Florida's largest
berry grower-shippers, is growing a
" good-sized trial " this year with plots
planted for several major retailers. Gary
WE COMBAT.
WE OUT-COMPETE.
WE CONQUER.
A FUNGICIDE LIKE NO OTHER.
To learn more, call 855-946-9537 or visit agbiome.com/howler
©2020 AGBIOME, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. AGBIOME INNOVATIONS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF AGBIOME INC. AND HOWLER IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF AFS009 PLANT PROTECTION, INC.
PRODUCT NOT YET REGISTERED IN ALL STATES.
8 | FruitGrowersNews.com

http://www.agbiome.com/howler http://www.FruitGrowersNews.com

January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2021

January 2021 - 1
January 2021 - 2
January 2021 - 3
January 2021 - 4
January 2021 - 5
January 2021 - 6
January 2021 - 7
January 2021 - 8
January 2021 - 9
January 2021 - 10
January 2021 - 11
January 2021 - 12
January 2021 - 13
January 2021 - 14
January 2021 - 15
January 2021 - 16
January 2021 - 17
January 2021 - 18
January 2021 - 19
January 2021 - 20
January 2021 - 21
January 2021 - 22
January 2021 - 23
January 2021 - 24
January 2021 - 25
January 2021 - 26
January 2021 - 27
January 2021 - 28
January 2021 - 29
January 2021 - 30
January 2021 - 31
January 2021 - 32
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-fgn
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/fgn-vgn-40-under-40-class-of-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyers-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyers-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/buyersguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/FGN/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com