Narrative
The USDA, Agricultural Research Service, the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and the Washington Agricultural Research Center announce the naming and release of SWEET SUNRISE a high-yielding, medium-large sized, early midseason ripening cultivar with excellent fresh and processed fruit quality. SWEET SUNRISE, a June-bearing strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.), was tested as ORUS 2240-1 and was selected in 2000 from the cross `Puget Reliance' x B 754 (MDUS 5132 x NY 113). SWEET SUNRISE has been tested in multiple trials in Oregon as well as in Washington and British Columbia. In Oregon, in multiple trials, SWEET SUNRISE usually has had higher yields than `Totem' and the yield has been comparable to or higher than `Tillamook' and `Valley Red'. In Washington, SWEET SUNRISE was at the top of the yield trial but was comparable to 'Puget Reliance', 'Stolo' and 'Totem'. While not always significantly different, the yield for SWEET SUNRISE 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 SWEET SUNRISE and is comparable to `Valley Red' in Oregon for this characteristic. SWEET SUNRISE has medium-large fruit that are usually larger than those of `Totem' and similar to or smaller than those of `Tillamook'. In commercial fields, yield and fruit size for SWEET SUNRISE are considered to be commercially viable. SWEET SUNRISE has scored well in subjective evaluations of fresh fruit characteristics in the field. The fruit are attractive and were scored comparably to `Puget Reliance', `Sweet Bliss' and `Valley Red', and nicer than `Totem', `Tillamook' and `Puget Crimson'. In Oregon, SWEET SUNRISE fruit were rated as firm, comparable to `Puget Crimson', `Sweet Bliss', `Tillamook' and `Valley Red' and firmer than `Totem' and `Puget Reliance'. In Washington, fruit firmness was evaluated using a penetrometer, and SWEET SUNRISE was the firmest berry, comparable to `Stolo' and `Totem' and firmer than `Hood?. The fruit have an external color that is darker than `Sweet Bliss? but comparable to `Totem ' and `Tillamook'. The internal fruit color is a solid deep red comparable to `Totem'. SWEET SUNRISE fruit rated the poorest of all cultivars evaluated for capping. However, when this concern was raised for growers who were trialing SWEET SUNRISE, they found that if you left the fruit to ripen 1-2 days longer than normal they could be easily harvested without the cap. SWEET BLISS 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'. SWEET BLISS fruit consistently ripened 7-10 days before `Tillamook' and `Totem' in Oregon and 3-6 days ahead of `Totem' and `Puget Reliance' in Washington. In evaluations of thawed frozen samples, SWEET SUNRISE was scored outstanding, comparable to `Totem', 'Hood' and `Puget Crimson' and better than `Puget Reliance'. Flavor of SWEET SUNRISE as a processed product is usually identified as one of its best attributes. SWEET SUNRISE 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, which is comparable to `Totem', `Tillamook' and `Valley Red'. While the titratable acidity is not high, it is comparable to `Hood', `Tillamook', `Totem', and `Valley Red' but lower than for `Sweet Bliss' and `Puget Crimson'. SWEET SUNRISE plants are more vigorous than `Puget Crimson', `Puget Reliance', `Sweet Bliss', `Tillamook', `Totem' and `Valley Red'. However, this vigor is not expressed as extremely vegetative plant rather it is a very healthy somewhat compact plant whose berries are easily visible to pickers.