For many years, growers and propagators have been looking for an alternative to the proven Jonkheer currant from Tets. The Red Lake mutation MARLENA®, which has been propagated for five years at Kimmig Nursery, a shareholder of Artevos GmbH, not only has the potential to become the currant of tomorrow, but also to drive overall consumption of the niche product. "The yield-resistant variety ripens very early, from mid-June onwards, and in addition bears very high-quality fruit at an early stage, which is also resistant to trickling and visually attractive," reports license administrator Artevos GmbH.
MARLENA® is characterized by its early ripening time coupled with a strikingly sweet taste. The large berries form a line on the cluster and retain their bright red color until fully ripe. "In addition, the very good distribution on the medium-large bunches on the shoots, as well as the large fruits, contribute to the best harvesting possibilities and a higher picking yield, which is becoming an increasingly important criterion for fruit producers in the face of rising labor costs," Artevos describes.
Last year, the MARLENA® acreage in the Oberkirch region, a recognized soft fruit growing area, was between 15 ha and 20 ha. In the meantime, the area has been expanded to more than 30 hectares, which corresponds to a total volume of approximately 100 - 140 tons. Based on the yield results so far, the yield per hectare should be around ten to twelve tons per hectare. Not only in terms of volume, but also in terms of labor input, homogeneity in fruit set and frost resistance, the young variety performs particularly well, it is further stated. "Marlena® is marketed mostly through wholesalers and food retailers, as the majority of growers mainly supply cooperatives," Artevos concludes.
Want to learn more about the MARLENA®? Visit the experience exchanges on June 15 at Strauchbeerenvermehrung Kimmig GbR in Oberkirch or on June 29, at Obsthof Blum in Zülpich
Further information:
Aleksandar Krdzic und Anja Weisser
Artevos GmbH
Robert-Bunsen-Str. 7
79108 Freiburg
Tel: +49 (0)761-1 20 92 80
info@artevos.de
www.artevos.de
Paul Kimmig
Baumschule Kimmig
Springstraße 14
77704 Oberkirch
Tel.: 07802 50261
E-Mail: info@baumschule-kimmig.de
www.baumschule-kimmig.de