A spring with an abundant strawberry production is expected, at least for those who have chosen the NSG varieties, Nova Siri Genetics.
At the Italian level, the season started a few weeks ago, but what Nicola Tufaro, breeder of the Lucanian company specializing in the research of new strawberry and berry varieties, has seen in the field is very promising: "Thanks to favorable weather conditions that have encouraged plant growth and tillering, as well as abundant flowering, the productive potential of the plantations looks interesting.
Looking ahead, if the weather remains favorable, 2025 will be a very positive year for Italian strawberry cultivation," he told Italian Berry.
NSG at the Berry Area of Macfrut
Nova Siri Genetics, founded in 2005 in Basilicata, is among the companies participating in the Berry Area, the new feature of the upcoming edition of Macfrut in Rimini (May 6-8, 2025). This section is dedicated exclusively to berries, featuring an exhibition area and a Berry Show space for presentations, speeches, and meetings.
“We found it very interesting to participate in the Berry Area, a new way of presenting the strawberry and berry supply chain, bringing together in a single area of the fair companies like NSG, active in genetic improvement, alongside producers and service and technology providers.
This will allow visitors to discover our new strawberry selections and the most interesting varieties for different production needs. Certainly, networking will be easy. The strength of the Berry Area, in our opinion, is that the sector is covered from all angles.
Our hope is that discussions with industry players will help us identify their needs, which will then translate into new objectives for our varietal research,” explained Alida Stigliano, NSG's marketing manager, to Italian Berry.
Research and Development of New Varieties
For NSG, feedback from the production sector is of fundamental importance when deciding to introduce a new variety (since its foundation, the company has released a total of 11 strawberry varieties).
A new strawberry selection from NSG
The varieties launched by NSG in the past have all been tested for several years in experimental fields across different production areas. Only producers who engage with the market can confirm the advantages of the new proposed varieties.
The Lucanian company conducts experimental trials at the Policoro (MT) research and experimentation center, where 25,000 strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry selections are currently being tested.
Expansion into International Markets
In the 2024/25 season, NSG, through its licensees, produced 150 million strawberry plants, a 15% increase from the previous year. The plants are propagated in nurseries in northern Spain and Poland. They are then distributed as follows: 39% in Spain (mainly Huelva), 52% in Italy, and the remaining 9% in other Mediterranean countries, where growth prospects for the coming years are promising.
“In recent years, countries like Morocco, Egypt, and Greece have been expanding their strawberry and berry cultivation areas. The climatic conditions of Mediterranean countries allow for excellent production in the autumn and winter months, extending into late summer.
Earliness is crucial to meet the demand for these berries from Northern European countries, starting in October and throughout the holiday season. The regions capable of supplying strawberries during this production window include Italy, Spain, Greece, and North African countries,” added Alida Stigliano, NSG's marketing manager.
The Future of Strawberry Cultivation According to NSG
Since its inception, Nova Siri Genetics has focused its research on early and rustic varieties of strawberries and berries, with low chill requirements, suited to the Mediterranean basin. These strawberries are cultivated in environments with pedoclimatic conditions very similar to where they were developed.
Among the 11 released strawberry varieties, Melissa, NSG203 Marimbella®, NSG207 Gioelita®, and NSG465 Rossetta® are the most successful and dominate in terms of the number of plants produced annually. “There are several reasons behind their success,” explained Nicola Tufaro of NSG. “They have spread because they are pathogen-tolerant, better adapt to temperature fluctuations, and produce well even in challenging conditions such as exhausted soils and suboptimal irrigation water quality.”
Marimbella® field (NSG)
Producers are particularly satisfied with Marimbella®: “It is very early, highly productive, reducing fixed costs, and has a good shelf life, a feature highly valued by large-scale retail. For these reasons, it is very popular in both Spain and Southern Italy.”
Rossetta® is the latest NSG success story. Looking at the 2024/25 season, this variety has already reached 12% of the NSG varieties distributed, with 17 million plants used in new plantations.
The estimated wait time for a new NSG strawberry variety to debut is around two years: “We have new selections under trial, they don’t have names yet, just numbers.”
Innovation and Nutraceuticals
“What we are looking for,” continued the breeder, “are always highly pathogen-tolerant, highly productive plants with high fruit quality. Balancing all these aspects is not easy; from research to market launch, a new strawberry plant takes an average of 8 years. Climate change is a factor, but even more so, the market undergoes rapid shifts, and we must adapt, incorporating the required characteristics. Consumers not only seek flavor but also aesthetics and fruit appearance.”
“We are also focusing on nutraceuticals. We aim for high ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content, but this trait is highly affected by cultivation conditions and post-harvest treatment, making it very challenging.”
New Markets and a Focus on India
While NSG has traditionally targeted Mediterranean countries, it has recently been looking further afield.
Among East Asian countries, India is very promising, where an NSG team recently visited: “India has great potential. It has a particularly suitable climate and soil, along with a large consumer base.
New high-performance varieties and the development of suitable cultivation techniques are needed. It will take time, but I believe that in the coming years, we will see interesting production in India, also in terms of product quality.”
Beyond Strawberries: NSG’s New Selections
Strawberries remain the focus, but NSG is also working on other berries, such as blackberries and raspberries. “While our blackberry selections are still in the experimental phase, for raspberries, we have started the process of obtaining plant variety rights from the CPVO for a very promising selection.”
NSG raspberry test field
Barbara Righini
