The high temperatures recorded in autumn as well as last month are creating quite a few problems in the Marsala area. "Strawberry plants are stressed because of the temperatures and so fruit is darker and with not much of a taste due to low sugar contents," reveals technician Nino Amato.
(Photo: I. Pellegrino).
90% of strawberries in Sicily are cultivated in small polytunnels that are 4 metres wide, 2-2.20 metres high and 30-35 metres long and covered in films. Temperatures can reach 35°C even in winter, thus increasing the percentage of deformed fruit.
Strawberries are harvested between December and June. The first ones are plugs, followed by bare roots and in March cool stored plants start producing.
(Photo: I. Pellegrino).
"Local producers grow the Fortuna variety, which is very early as the plugs of this variety appear already in November-December. Usually they stop in April-May when temperatures rise, but this year they are stopping already."
In addition to Fortuna, the most popular varieties are Rania, Camarosa, Nabila, Sabrina and Antilla.
(Photo: I. Pellegrino).
"Actually we have already harvested the quantities we expected in March. We harvested 30-40 grams per plant, i.e. 50 2kg crates, in a single day. Quality suffers because it has not been cold enough, whereas shelf-life depends on variety and irrigation," explains Ignazio Pellegrino, agent for Salvi Vivai.
"Research and varietal innovation are working for later varieties which have better colour, consistency, taste and shelf-life."