It is in this context that GIUSY® CIVH413pbr enters the market: a new June-bearing variety developed by the breeding program of CIV – Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti. The proposal is aimed particularly at the premium strawberry segment and seeks to combine earliness, rusticity, productivity and fruit quality.
A variety for temperate and continental environments
GIUSY® CIVH413 is a June-bearing variety with a high chilling requirement, suitable for temperate and continental growing areas. The plant has a semi-erect habit, medium vigor and a high level of rusticity, combined with good tolerance to the main leaf and root diseases.
According to experimental data released by CIV, the variety is characterized by an early production peak and by an average yield of around 1,200 grams per plant. The harvest period is early, occurring approximately three days after Clery®, one of the benchmark varieties in the European production calendar.
The variety is already being positively assessed in established markets such as Italy and Germany. Trials are also underway in other European growing areas: field trials are active in France, while advanced trials have been launched in the United Kingdom to assess the variety’s potential in autumn and winter production systems.
Positioning focused on fruit quality
One of the key elements in the positioning of GIUSY® CIVH413 concerns fruit quality. In recent years, the sector has often prioritized characteristics functional to the supply chain — such as shelf life, transport resistance and uniformity — with the risk, reported by many operators and consumers, of penalizing the taste profile.
GIUSY® CIVH413 is instead presented as a variety also oriented toward the eating experience. The fruit has a regular conical shape, a bright red-orange color that is uniform up to the calyx, large size and good size consistency throughout the season.
The reported average weight is around 31 grams, with more than 95% of the fruit classifiable as first commercial category. The declared average sugar content is 8.5 °Brix.
From a sensory perspective, the variety is described as having a taste profile marked by sweetness, accompanied by a light aromatic component and good flavor persistence. These characteristics support its positioning in the premium segment, where quality perceived by the consumer is becoming an increasingly important competitive factor.
Shelf life and supply chain management
Post-harvest shelf life remains one of the critical issues for strawberries, a perishable product that is sensitive to transport, storage and display conditions. For growers and retailers, shelf life affects not only perceived quality but also commercial losses and logistics management.
According to the available technical information, GIUSY® CIVH413 shows good fruit firmness and high shelf life. The variety is said to maintain its appearance, integrity and commercial appeal even in the stages following harvest, including distribution.
The comparison with Clery®, a benchmark variety for many production areas, would indicate better post-harvest performance, even under high-temperature conditions. This aspect is particularly relevant for supply chains that need to manage longer transport times or less favorable climatic conditions.
The combination of taste and shelf life is one of the most interesting features of the variety, because traditionally these two objectives have not always been easy to integrate effectively within the same varietal profile.
A proposal for a more value-oriented supply chain
The new phase of strawberry production requires varieties capable of responding to different needs along the supply chain. Growers look for agronomic reliability, productivity and rusticity; retailers require uniformity, shelf life and consistent quality; end consumers ask for pleasant, sweet and recognizable fruit.
GIUSY® CIVH413 occupies this competitive space: an early and productive variety, but one also built around fruit quality and commercial performance.
It remains to be seen, through the expansion of trials and adoption across different growing areas, how far the profile observed in testing can translate into consistent results on a production scale. In a market where differentiation can no longer rely solely on visual appearance, genetics is once again becoming central to the creation of value.
Technical summary
- Type: June-bearing variety with high chilling requirement
- Harvest period: early, around 3 days after Clery®
- Plant habit: semi-erect
- Vigor: medium
- Rusticity: high
- Average yield: around 1,200 g/plant
- Average fruit weight: 31 g
- First category: over 95%
- Average Brix: 8.5°
- Shape: regular conical
- Color: bright red-orange
- Declared strengths: taste, shelf life, consistent fruit size, rusticity, earliness
