THE STRAWBERRY NURSERY INDUSTRY IN SPAIN: AN UPDATE

Abstract

The Spanish strawberry nursery industry (more than 1,200 ha) is mostly concentrated (95%) in Castilla-Leon, Central-Northern part of Spain. More than 550 million runner plants per year are produced. The high-elevation nurseries are located at altitudes between 800 and 1,000 meters, under a continental climate. The cropping pattern is annual with planting dates between April and May with fresh plants harvested throughout October. Strawberry plants are produced under the Spanish Technical Regulations on Control and Certification of Fruit Trees Production (strawberry nursery section). The Official Register of Strawberry Plant Producers includes 60 Spanish Nurseries (however only 38 are in full activity), classified into three categories: a) Obtentor; b) Seleccionador; c) Multiplicador. The biggest plant production per year (85-86%) is for fresh-plant certified stocks. Frigo-plant certified stocks are about 8-9% of the production. More than 100 varieties have been produced during the last ten years; however, cv. 'Camarosa' has been very clearly the main cultivar. The Register of Protected Plant Varieties (RPV) and the Register of Commercial Varieties (RCV), are both important for strawberry cultivars. The RPV grants to the breeder an industrial property right for his variety (Plant Breeder Rights). The RCV grants to the breeder an administrative right to commercialize certified plant material of his variety. In the Spanish system, the requirements for PBR and RCV are examined by means of the same two years field and lab trials (DUS-test). In the case of PBR, there are two different and non-cumulative ways: the National Property Right (under the new Spanish Law 3/2000); and, the Community Property Right (under the Council Regulation-EC- n°2100/94). In any case, the Spanish Plant Variety Office is the holder of the Official Registers of Strawberry Plant Varieties in Spain.