Amelia

Parentage Amelia (formerly EM1103) was bred at East Malling Research and was first selected in 1998. It has a complex pedigree, which includes Pandora, Marmolada, Kent and Providence. /// Season : Amelia crops 7-14 days later than Elsanta.

Fruit Quality : Amelia has attractive, firm berries with a mid-red colour and pleasant flavour. The Brix levels are similar to Elsanta but shelf life has been superior in trials at East Malling. Splitting below the calyx has been noted in some trials but this can be minimised by keeping the plants dry and does not unduly affect marketability. /// Yield and Fruit Size : Plants produce moderate yields and fruit size is similar to Elsanta. /// Marketing Suitability : Amelia is suitable for supermarkets, direct farm sales and pick your-own. Plant Characteristics The plants are more vigorous than Elsanta and quite dense but the fruit is well displayed and easy to harvest. /// Disease resistance : In tests conducted at East Malling plants of Amelia have shown moderate resistance to powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) and crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum).

Use of the variety The late cropping season of Amelia makes it a useful variety to follow on from Elsanta and other mid season types. The fruit quality provides an advantage over other late season varieties due to the attractive, regular shaped berries, which show good firmness and shelf life and have a mid-red colour with pleasant flavour. The good plant vigour will enable Amelia to be grown on low input systems similar to Florence, but with the additional advantage of a brighter, lighter skin colour.