Cupid

Parentage

Cupid (formerly EM1395) was bred at East Malling Research from a cross between EM786 and EM701, and was first selected in 2002.

Season

Cupid produces its fruit at a similar time to Florence.

Fruit Quality

Berries are very attractive, glossy, bright orange-red in colour and uniformly conic shaped. Skin has a good strength and shelf-life is good. Brix levels are usually similar to Elsanta. Cupid has the potential to produce excellent flavour, although it has been found to be variable on some trial sites.

Yield and Fruit Size

Cupid has produced better main crop yields than Elsanta on both covered and uncovered sites. 60-day yields have been lower than Elsanta but better than Florence and Symphony. Class 1 percentages are high with average berry size slightly smaller than Elsanta. The berries have good rain tolerance.

Marketing Suitability

Suitable for both amateur and retail outlets.

Plant Characteristics

Plants are vigorous, the leaf canopy providing some useful protection for the fruit on outdoor sites. Plant habit is compact and fruit display good.

Disease Resistance

Cupid is exceptional in that it shows a useful level of resistance to the four major strawberry diseases: wilt (Verticillium dahliae), crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum), black spot (Colletotrichum acutatum) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis).

Use of the Variety

Cupid is a late season variety with multiple disease resistance that displays good fruit quality including bright orange/red colour, good skin strength and regular berry shape. Some degree of rain resistance has also been noted, all of which are advantageous for a late season variety where good performance in unprotected production is required.