TastyStrawberry: Sustainable optimization of modern cultivation practice for taste improvement of Norwegian strawberries

Strawberry is an important berry specie with long traditions in Norway. Norwegian berries have a high status among consumers. The climate in Norway is suited to produce strawberries with excellent taste, but the season is short and the consumers' desire for strawberries around the year has led to a sharp increase in imports in recent years. If Norwegian strawberries are to compete with imported berries during the growing season and retain their high status, it is important to focus on quality. The opening of import of strawberry plants, have given new possibilities for production. The high yield potential of imported strawberry plants combined with growing in substrate in high plastic tunnels meets many of the challenges for strawberry production in Norway. In extension of this, production of strawberries in greenhouses and in closed systems have also become relevant. In parallel with new production systems and increased import, the taste-quality of Norwegian berries has been challenged. A question that has been raised is: "Why is there so little difference in the taste of Norwegian and imported strawberries?". However, strawberry taste is complex and specific, and preferences change with several factors, such as age and gender. Strawberry flavor is a complex interaction between sugar, acid, and aroma substances. Since the ripening process stops at harvest, the content of these cannot be changed after picking. Cultivar, cultivation practices, temperature and light are factors that alone and in combination can affect the quality of taste. The role of the cultivation factors in modern production systems must be understood in order to improve the consumer's taste experience and optimize the quality of the final product. TastyStrawberry's main goal is therefore to develop new knowledge that will create a basis for optimizing the taste of strawberries produced in modern production systems during an extended growing season in Norway.