Narrative
The USDA, Agricultural Research Service, the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and the Washington Agricultural Research Center announce the naming and release of CHARM, a high-yielding, medium-large sized, easily-capped, cultivar with excellent processed fruit quality that is particularly suited to ice cream formulations. CHARM, a June-bearing strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.), was tested as ORUS 2262-2 and was selected in 2001 from the cross BC 92-14-31 (`Providence x Sumas) x WA 94023-1 (ORUS 1083-135 x NJ 8713-8). CHARM has been tested in multiple trials in Oregon as well as Washington and British Columbia. In Oregon, CHARM usually has higher yield than `Totem' and has been comparable to or higher than `Tillamook'. In Washington, in a trial harvested for two years, CHARM had a higher yield than `Totem', and `Tillamook', was comparable to `Valley Red' and `Puget Crimson'. While not always significantly different, the yield for CHARM has always been at or near the top when compared with named cultivars in any Pacific Northwest trial. Typically the drop in yield from 1st to 2nd harvest season is relatively low in CHARM compared to other cultivars in Oregon and in Washington the yield has often increased in the second year. CHARM has medium sized fruit, typically around 15 g and they are comparable in size or larger than `Totem' and comparable or smaller than those of `Tillamook' regardless of where they are grown in the Pacific Northwest. In commercial fields, yield and fruit size are considered to be commercially viable. CHARM has scored well in subjective evaluations of fruit characteristics. Fruit appearance was scored similarly to `Sweet Bliss', `Tillamook', `Totem', and Puget Crimson' but not as nice as `Puget Reliance' and `Valley Red'. In Oregon, CHARM fruit were rated similarly in firmness to `Tillamook', `Puget Crimson' and `Sweet Bliss' and better than `Totem' or `Puget Reliance'. In Washington, fruit firmness was evaluated using a penetrometer, and CHARM was generally similar to `Tillamook', better than `Puget Crimson', and either similar to or better than `Totem' depending on the year of the trial. The fruit have an external color that is not as dark as `Valley Red' or `Puget Crimson' and is comparable to `Tillamook', `Totem' or `Sweet Bliss'. The internal fruit color is also a bright red and similarly was not as dark as for `Valley Red' but is a deeper red than for `Puget Reliance'. CHARM fruit cap easily, comparable to `Puget Reliance', `Puget Crimson', `Valley Red', and `Totem' and more easily than `Sweet Bliss' and `Tillamook'. CHARM has a full, balanced sweet-to-acid, strawberry flavor that was rated similar to `Sweet Bliss', better than `Totem', `Tillamook' , `Valley Red' and `Puget Reliance' and not quite as nice as `Puget Crimson'. CHARM fruit consistently ripen with `Totem' and `Tillamook' in Oregon and Washington. CHARM fruit have a comparable soluble solids level to Puget Reliance, `Shuksan', `Stolo', `Sweet Bliss', `Tillamook', `Totem' and `Valley Red' but they are not as sweet as `Hood' or `Puget Crimson'. Fruit pH was around 3.5 and comparable to `Totem'. Titratable acidity is comparable to `Totem' and `Tillamook', and lower than those for fruit of `Sweet Bliss' and `Puget Crimson'. CHARM fruit were evaluated in a blind panel by representatives of the ice cream industry and identified as outstanding with the potential to replace `Hood'. CHARM plants are among the most vigorous of any we have evaluated. We were concerned whether so much growth would slow down hand harvesting and specifically asked professional picking crews about this concern. They felt there was no problem with the harvest and that the fruit could be harvested economically. Based on this high vigor, organic growers may be interested in trialing CHARM as it would appear to have a lower nitrogen requirement than most other commercial cultivars. Note 5/21/2013: pedigree change BC 91-14-31 to BC 92-14-31.