Strawberry Valiant

Description

Valiant Strawberry

Valiant is a vigorous and reliable strawberry variety, recognised for its strong plant structure, high productivity, and excellent fruit uniformity. It produces medium to very large, well-shaped berries with an attractive bright red colour and a firm texture, making it well suited to both fresh market sales and extended harvest periods.

This variety is particularly valued for its resilience and consistency. Valiant performs strongly across a wide range of growing conditions, showing good tolerance to environmental stress while maintaining fruit quality throughout the season. These traits support efficient harvesting and dependable returns for growers.

With an upright growth habit and strong crown development, Valiant is easy to manage and well adapted to container systems, tunnel production, and open-field cultivation.

Key Characteristics

• Breeding origin: University of California

• Type: Day-neutral

• Yield: Early and high

• Fruit size: Large to very large

• Fruit colour: Bright red

• Flesh: Medium red and firm

• Flavour: Very good

• Weather tolerance: Very good resistance to fruit damage under wet conditions

Strengths

• Consistently large to very large fruit size

• Early production with strong yields

• Excellent fruit uniformity and firmness

Limitations

• Moderately susceptible to root rots

• Large plant size may present challenges in tabletop production systems

Yield Performance in New Zealand

• Auckland trials:
  Average annual production (to December) over the past four years of 624 g per plant, with an average berry size of 31 g per fruit up to Christmas.

• Canterbury trials:
  Average production over the past two years of 996 g per plant, with an average berry size of 29 g per fruit.

Summary

Valiant is an ideal choice for growers seeking a robust, productive strawberry variety that delivers consistent yields, efficient harvesting, and high-quality fruit across diverse growing environments.