Pioneers of F1 Hybrid Strawberries: Roland Sweijen (Limgroup)

In this penultimate edition of our series Pioneers of F1 Hybrid Strawberries, we focus on Limgroup, the company at the forefront of this transition in the strawberry sector. We speak with Roland Sweijen, who has been Product Lead Strawberry at the breeding company since September 2023. In this interview, he discusses his role in the development of F1 Hybrid Strawberries and the challenges and opportunities this concept presents for the entire strawberry market, with Limore One as the first variety.

In this article, you’ll learn:

How the development of a new strawberry variety works.
How the launch of F1 Hybrid Strawberries caused queues at Limgroup’s exhibition stand.
Why Roland Sweijen expects the strawberry sector to undergo a significant transformation within five years.

Roland Sweijen has been working as Product Lead Strawberry at Limgroup for just over a year, a role where F1 Hybrid Strawberries plays a key part. The concept had been in development for years and was one of the main topics in his initial talks with Limgroup. Roland explains, “I spent 20 years in the vegetable seed industry, where hybrid breeding is the norm. So I was surprised to see that strawberries were still being propagated through runners. Given my background, I knew the transition to hybrid strawberries had enormous potential, and I was eager to be part of that journey at Limgroup.”

And that’s exactly what happened. On his very first day, the Pioneers gathered at Limgroup’s office in Horst to plan the launch of Limore One, the first variety within the F1 Hybrid Strawberries concept. “What immediately struck me was the enthusiasm of the Pioneers. Some of our partners were even more excited than we were. Hearing that level of excitement from such major companies confirmed to me that we had something truly special in our hands,” says Roland.

The road to Limore One
Fifteen years before Sweijen joined Limgroup, the journey toward developing F1 Hybrid Strawberries began. The process starts with creating parent lines to develop stable hybrids. Roland explains, "Breeding is often described as the art of elimination. You begin with many 'numbers' or selections, and over a few years, you narrow it down to those with real potential. These are then tested externally with propagators and growers, and after a few more years, one or more varieties are chosen for commercial launch. Limore One followed this path. Once tests with both propagators and growers delivered excellent results, we set our sights on a 2024 launch."

Limore One has been tested in various conditions, including different climates and growing systems like glasshouses and tabletops. The variety not only performed well but also showed impressive production stability. "A key trait of Limore One is that it's an everbearer, which means constant production is essential," Roland explains. "While other everbearers still have peaks and dips in yield, Limore One might take a bit longer to kick off, but once it does, it produces consistently throughout the season. Where other varieties deliver smaller berries as autumn approaches, Limore One maintains its fruit size and quality. Plus, in the early stages of cultivation, minimal crop protection is needed since the plants have a shorter growth period, which makes the process more sustainable. In the future, we hope to introduce resistance traits, which would be a groundbreaking step in further improving the sustainability of strawberry cultivation."

"In the future, we hope to introduce resistance traits, which would be a groundbreaking step in further improving the sustainability of strawberry cultivation."

Overwhelming interest from the sector
“The official launch of Limore One took place in January 2024 at the International Soft Fruit Conference in Den Bosch. While we expected a lot of interest, the response went far beyond anything we had anticipated,” Roland recalls. “The excitement from the sector was overwhelming. In the weeks and months following the launch, we were flooded with emails and phone calls from propagators, growers, and vertical farms around the world, all eager to get started with Limore One. It became clear that the strawberry industry immediately grasped the benefits of hybrid breeding, especially given its proven success in other crops. In fact, many of those reaching out were telling us about the advantages they saw. The feedback was nothing but positive.”

"A little over a month later, we were at Fruit Logistica, and once again, the interest was overwhelming. We were constantly in conversations with visitors, and to our surprise, a queue formed in front of our stand—something none of us had ever experienced before. People were literally lining up to hear more about F1 Hybrid Strawberries and Limore. It was clear we had something truly special, and the industry recognized that too. The feeling of having an innovation that draws so much attention was an incredible experience, confirming our belief in the future of hybrid strawberries. And, of course, it was a great reward for years of hard work by everyone on the team.”

"To our surprise, a queue formed in front of our stand—something none of us had ever experienced before."

A new way of thinking throughout the chain
As with any new introduction, there was some hesitation. “The strawberry sector tends to be quite conservative,” Roland explains. “There’s a group of early adopters who want to learn everything right away and are eager to jump in. But there’s also a group that remains skeptical and has plenty of questions, like whether F1 Hybrid Strawberries will fit into their current cultivation systems. Some people want to see proof before they fully believe in it. Then there’s a middle group that’s interested but still watching from the sidelines. That said, we’re confident that this is the future of strawberries. Our challenge is to effectively communicate that message and win over the market. This will require a shift in mindset, from propagation to the entire cultivation process. It’s up to us to position Limore One in a way that proves it delivers on its promise. We’re already seeing some of the more conservative players starting to open the door, which is a great sign.”

Just the first step
The current production of Limore One, which began in January, is still going strong and is expected to continue until November, depending on weather conditions. "What really stands out," Roland says, "is that the plants are still healthy and vigorous, with a steady follow-up of flowers and consistent production. With clonal varieties, you usually start seeing signs of aging by now, but Limore One plants are still in top form. And this is just the beginning—our breeders aren’t resting. Each year, we expect to test around five new selections with growers. We’re confident that one or two of these will prove valuable. So, we’re already working on Limore Two, Limore Three, and much more."

Looking ahead to the future of the strawberry sector, Roland is confident: “Hybrid strawberries are the future, and I believe that within five years, the industry will have made significant strides in the transition. By that time, we’ll have expanded our portfolio to serve various markets and cultivation systems with hybrid varieties. This will give growers and plant nurseries more choices, allowing them to select the ideal plants and fine-tune them to fit their specific needs. The flexibility in planting times will come from the consistent availability of F1 hybrid seeds, which will have a major impact on how growers plan and manage production. We even anticipate new planting windows and months emerging. That said, we’re not rushing things—after all, it took us 15 years to bring F1 Hybrid Strawberries to market, so we’re taking a careful approach. Limore One is just the beginning of this transition. And as I’ve said before: there’s a lot more on the way.”

“Hybrid strawberries are the future, and I believe that within five years, the industry will have made significant strides in the transition.”

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