OSIRIS is the new niche variety of "Ronde" strawberry from Ciref. Its unique quality resides in its versatility, its high production potential and the commercial quality of its fruit.
OSIRIS is the product of a varietal development programme, drawing on the expertise of Bordeaux's INRA Centre and focusing primarily on developing mildew tolerance. It is a naturally hardy fruit which is particularly tolerant to this fungal disease. Add to this a strong and vigorous plant that can tolerate cold snaps and you have a variety that is suitable for both soil and soil-less cultivation as well being able to survive cold and warmish temperatures.
Its two other main qualities are its commercial potential - it looks nice (shiny, regular-shaped fruit), and keeps well, even during spring heat waves - and its high yield potential, 20% more than Clery, the benchmark strawberry in the "Ronde" market. Although there are some technical differences in the way the fruit is produced, the quality of flavour is not significantly different from other "rondes" strawberries.
OSIRIS, selected by the French strawberry sector, complements the existing range of strawberry varieties. In a traditional strawberry farm producing early ripening Ciflorette strawberries, (March - April), Clergy strawberries, which are an early ripening "ronde" variety (late March-April and then June) and Charlotte strawberries which are a double-cropping variety (June to October), there is a dip in production in May. So, it would be possible to add a crop of OSIRIS strawberries, ideally grown in a soil-less, frost-protected system, to fill this gap and ensure constant production.
50 tonnes will already be available to the market in 2016, which will allow the company to develop a commercial strategy before they take the plunge in 2017.

OSIRIS is the new niche variety of “Ronde” strawberry from Ciref. Its unique quality resides in its versatility, its high production potential and the commercial quality of its fruit.
OSIRIS is the product of a varietal development programme, drawing on the expertise of Bordeaux’s INRA Centre and focusing primarily on developing mildew tolerance. It is a naturally hardy fruit which is particularly tolerant to this fungal disease. Add to this a strong and vigorous plant that can tolerate cold snaps and you have a variety that is suitable for both soil and soil-less cultivation as well being able to survive cold and warmish temperatures.
Its two other main qualities are its commercial potential – it looks nice (shiny, regular-shaped fruit), and keeps well, even during spring heat waves – and its high yield potential, 20% more than Clery, the benchmark strawberry in the “Ronde” market. Although there are some technical differences in the way the fruit is produced, the quality of flavour is not significantly different from other “rondes” strawberries.
OSIRIS, selected by the French strawberry sector, complements the existing range of strawberry varieties. In a traditional strawberry farm producing early ripening Ciflorette strawberries, (March – April), Clergy strawberries, which are an early ripening “ronde” variety (late March-April and then June) and Charlotte strawberries which are a double-cropping variety (June to October), there is a dip in production in May. So, it would be possible to add a crop of OSIRIS strawberries, ideally grown in a soil-less, frost-protected system, to fill this gap and ensure constant production.
50 tonnes will already be available to the market in 2016, which will allow the company to develop a commercial strategy before they take the plunge in 2017.