Pioneers of F1 Hybrid Strawberries: Lam Strawberry Farm

Why Limore One is the solution to various challenges in cultivation

In this edition of Pioneers of F1 Hybrid Strawberries series, we highlight a key grower playing a pivotal role in the transition. In this article, David Abrahamjan of Lam Strawberry Farm in Winssen, The Netherlands shares his experiences with the Limore One variety so far and his vision for the future of F1 Hybrid Strawberries.

In this article, you will learn:

Why growers should look beyond the Elsanta variety.
Why David Abrahamjan believes Limore One is an ideal solution for current cultivation challenges.
The benefits of the Limore One variety, from pest control to yield output.

David Abrahamjan moved to the Netherlands from Armenia in 1998, together with his wife. He began leasing Lam Strawberry Farm in Winssen, Gelderland, in 2008, and became the owner in 2018. He chose to retain the original name of the farm. "Our name is well-known at the auction, so I thought it wouldn't be wise to change it just yet," David laughs. The farm now cultivates over 4 hectares of strawberries on tables and has 1 hectare dedicated to its own propagation material.

Growing challenges necessitate innovation
Although the business is successful, David has noticed many changes recently. "When I first started here, things were very different," David says. "Until 2018, everyone grew Elsanta; there was no question about it. The regulations concerning pesticides were also much less strict back then. Since Elsanta can't be grown without crop protection, the stricter regulations from the government and the EU make it increasingly difficult for growers. As growers, we all do our very best to use as little crop protection as possible and only apply it when absolutely necessary, but even that is becoming more challenging."

The labor market also presents challenges. "With Elsanta, there's a significant peak season," David explains. "During that peak, you need a lot of employees for a short time, but outside of that period, they're not needed anymore. In today's labor market, it's already tough to find and retain workers, and you also have to train them in the specifics of the job. They need to gain experience and develop a feel for the work, but by the time they have mastered it, the peak season is over. This makes the situation unsustainable in the long term, which is why we, as a sector, need to be open to other solutions."

Looking beyond Elsanta
As a supplier to FruitMasters, David has frequent contact with Harrie Jonker, a soft fruit cultivation specialist at the fruit cooperative. "We often discuss new possibilities for different varieties. It has become clear to me that Elsanta is not the future in the long term. Therefore, I want to gain experience with other varieties as early as possible. This way, I can acquire knowledge and gain an edge over other growers who might only realize in a few years that they need to look at other varieties. I have already conducted trials with different varieties, such as Favori and Lady Emma. Harrie also recommended Limore One from Limgroup, a variety that would suit my farm well."

David had the opportunity to start working with Limore One and now has half a hectare of this variety. "We are already seeing several advantages," he says. "Firstly, you don't need a tray field to produce the cuttings since they come directly from seed. This saves space and makes the process more efficient. We have had the plants on racks since the end of March, and production is really starting to take off now." The beauty of Limore One is that you can see all stages of the strawberry's development. It starts with a bud, then another bud, followed by flowering. Then comes the fruit, which is initially green and then turns red. We have already harvested twice, and the strawberries are remarkably large. With just seven strawberries, you have 400 grams, so they weigh about 50 to 60 grams each. What strikes me further is that the strawberries are perfectly shaped, as if someone had drawn the perfect strawberry. They have a beautiful red color and grow very well. The start is very promising, and I have a lot of confidence in it."

"Limore One produces large and beautifully red strawberries. It’s as if someone has drawn the perfect strawberry."

Seeking high-yield varieties
David highlights the issues with small and misshapen strawberries in the current market. "Small and misshapen strawberries fetch almost nothing, but you still have to do the same amount of work," he explains. "You need to pick and plant them just as carefully, and all the other tasks remain the same. The difference between picking large, beautiful strawberries and small, misshapen ones is significant.

Consumers and traders have become increasingly picky; everyone wants the perfect, high-quality strawberry. Small and second-grade strawberries are of no interest to them and are hard to sell. The costs of growing small strawberries remain the same or even increase. Add the labor shortage to this, and you understand why many strawberry growers are quitting. Therefore, it is essential to find a variety that produces very few small strawberries and yields high quantities, without compromising on taste. I’ve noticed this with Limore One; you can harvest a lot of kilograms, which reduces picking costs, and the strawberries are very large."

Sustainability benefits
Regarding sustainability, David also sees advantages. "Starting with clean seeds means less crop protection is needed throughout the process," he says. "This offers significant opportunities in the current market with increasingly stringent regulations. Additionally, the plants do not come from cold storage, which means they remain more stable in their production and consistently produce beautiful and high-quality strawberries. Another advantage of Limore One is the flexibility in planning. "Propagators want to know your plans earlier and earlier," David explains. "They call and send letters asking how many and which varieties we want for the next year or even the year after. This is almost impossible because you want to observe varieties longer throughout the season before deciding. Nowadays, plant growers even want advance payments to build in security. This means you have to decide earlier and earlier, making it very challenging for us as growers."

“With Limore One, much less crop protection is needed in the process. This offers significant opportunities with the increasingly stringent regulations.”

Appearance and taste
"I always say that consumers buy strawberries with their eyes," says David. At our farm, we often let people taste the strawberries, and customers frequently return for the flavor and quality. In the supermarket, however, consumers can’t taste them; they choose purely based on appearance. Limore One strawberries look stunning and are also large, which is a positive because you can harvest a lot of kilograms. In the initial crops, they are even larger than what the regular market in the Netherlands is used to. I’ve told Harrie from FruitMasters that they are so beautiful and large that you could almost sell them individually," says David. Nevertheless, he also sees plenty of opportunities in the regular market: "They are strawberries with a beautiful appearance, but people will need to get used to them. We have worked with Elsanta for 30 years, so everyone knows that variety as the standard for taste and appearance of strawberries. Consumers need time to adjust to new flavors and experiences, and that takes time. Limore One has a slightly different taste: less distinctly sweet, but a combination of fresh, sweet, and a bit sour. It’s a delicious mix that I personally find very tasty. It is a juicy and fresh strawberry."

Key market considerations
When asked about the future of Limore One, David is clear: “I definitely believe that Limore One can dominate the market,” he says. “If the harvesting costs are lower than other varieties and the variety is resistant to diseases, then Limore One already has two major advantages. For growers, it’s crucial that a variety yields more kilos, requires less work, and maintains stable production. A variety shouldn’t produce just one harvest and then nothing for three or four weeks. If the strawberry also tastes great, then those are three strong points for both the grower and the consumer. On all these points, Limore One has shown promising results so far, so I’m very curious to see what the future holds.”

"I definitely think that Limore One could dominate the market. So far, the variety has shown very promising results."

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