STRAWBERRY BREEDING IN NORWAY: PROGRESS AND FUTURE

Strawberry cultivation is an economically important horticultural crop in Norway. Scandinavian countries, including Norway, are in marginal areas as far as strawberry growing on a commercial basis is concerned. Norwegian strawberry growers are increasingly facing challenges to maintain and secure substantial profit. Therefore, there is an increased demand for new strawberry cultivars that are better adapted to the Norwegian growing conditions and regulations. The Norwegian strawberry breeding program has a long history of more than 40 years. Several strawberry cultivars have been released by the national strawberry breeding programs. In 2002, the National Norwegian strawberry breeding program was privatized to Graminor Breeding Ltd. The breeding program has responsibility to supply the Norwegian market with new well-adapted and productive strawberry cultivars with high berry qualities, in order to add to the profitability of the growers. Graminor Breeding Ltd. is also representing foreign cultivars in Norway. Three new cultivars have been launched in 2007: ‘Gudleif’, ‘Iris’, and ‘Blink’.