Directed by Dr. Craig Chandler, the University of Florida strawberry variety development program selects new cultivars adapted to the growing conditions of central Florida. Commercial strawberry production is concentrated on 3,000 hectares in west-central Florida at 28° of latitude. Dr. Chandler selects varieties that produce high yields of quality fruit in a sub-tropical, Atlantic-humid climate. The criteria for selection include:

• Earliness of production - producers exploit the late fall and mid-winter, high value market season: 30 percent of the fruit harvested before February 1.
• High levels of resistance to diseases of the crown, root and fruit, with special resistance to collectotrichum acutatum (anthracnose).
• Good pollination under adverse weather conditions necessary to maintain good fruit shape and uniformity.
• Fruit that will sustain exposure to rain and high humidity during the fruit ripening cycle without significant loss of fruit quality or shelf life.
• Dessert quality and flavor characteristics equal to or greater than varieties from competing programs.