HANSABRED - EUROPEAN STRAWBERRY BREEDING AND RESEARCH

In 2008, Hansabred GmbH & Co. KG was founded as a European strawberry breeding and research company and has four widely known European companies as shareholders: Kraege Beerenpflanzen (Germany), Vissers (The Netherlands), R.W. Walpole Strawberry Plants Ltd. (UK) and Plantas de Navarra, S.A. (Spain).
250 years of strawberry breeding have led to numerous so-called funnel effects which resulted in susceptibilities to pathogens and in losses of flavour characterised by aroma patterns with low or even zero key volatile concentrations.
In this contribution, important aspects of the Hansabred breeding programme are portrayed: high resistance to different pathogens and improved strawberry flavour. A large germplasm collection which originated from the “Professor Staudt Collection” is available with more than 260 accessions of wild species and more than 100 cultivars. This background allows innovative pathways in strawberry breeding. Today, nine vigorous clones with excellent flavour are in European trials already. Hansabred has initiated a project network together with fruit processing companies as well as national and international research institutes and universities.