CIVL519, the new CIV low-chill strawberry selection with very early and high quality yield

25 February 2020

The CIV breeder Michelangelo Leis: "First productions in Southern Italy and Huelva in Spain with amazing results". Marco Bertolazzi: “High productivity and precocity, very tolerant to leaf and root diseases, including powdery mildew. Excellent quality fruit even in December". CIVL519 is the new promising selection of low-chill strawberries that CIV is testing with excellent development prospects that could complement the CIVS115* Parthenope®. 
“In the beginning of 2020 - explains CIV breeder Michelangelo Leis - we are developing with our Partners new varieties of low-chill strawberries of Italy and Spain. We are registering the first yields of CIVL519 selection in Sicily and the province of Huelva with amazing results. In parallel, another production is currently also in progress in Campania and Metapontino. CIVL519 ripens early compared to other varieties currently on the market, is more productive, has high quality fruits (consistent size, high brix level, and excellent aromatic elements), and is very consistent. The fruits are uniformly bright red, very attractive, with a compact interior of homogeneous red color. The plants bear simultaneously ripe fruits, green fruits and flowers, as a hallmark of great production continuity.
"Marco Bertolazzi, CIV Business Development Manager, adds that "the new CIVL519 shows semi-erect habitus, medium vigor, high productivity, precocity and is genetically very tolerant with regards to leaf and root diseases, including powdery mildew. CIVL519 is the earliest selection among the new CIV varieties. From our advanced trial tests, also carried out by expert companies with which we have been collaborating for years, we have obtained very promising results exhibiting better quality and quantity productions than the earliest varieties currently on the market, obtaining the peak when the prices are still high, meaning before the April production season. Finally, this selection performs very well even from rooted stems, allowing to harvest high quality fruits even in December.
"Bertolazzi adds: "CIVL519 also has an excellent fruit quality of a regular conical shape, with consistent pulp and sweet taste. The fruits have a homogeneous red color without white shoulder even when exposed to low temperatures or low light. It is important to emphasize that these organoleptic characteristics persist throughout the season. Finally, the homogeneity of fruit ripening (in each plant there is a ripe fruit, an attached flower, and a growing fruit) and the production physiology, with fruits coming from primary floral structures (a flower -> a fruit), guarantee the homogeneity of the shape and size of the fruit with simple, fast, and cheap collection methods!" 
“The CIVL519 variety, explains CIV breeder Michelangelo Leis, confirms the benefits of our Research & Development Program in full compliance with the following guidelines: natural resilience of plants, easy production according to conventional agronomic techniques, and good adaptability to integrated and organic production methods, excellent organoleptic and shelf-life characteristics.”

 "Marco Bertolazzi concludes: “We are confident that CIVL519 will confirm its high performance throughout the 2020 harvest campaign! Then, we could think of new enhancement strategies in order to enrich CIV Portfolio with a very early ripening offer, currently missing among CIV varieties for Mediterranean climates, such as: Flavia* (fruit quality), Nabila* (productivity), CIVS115* Parthenope® (earliness and quality of fruit) and Flaminia* (quality of fruit), and CIVS906* ELIDE® (quality of fruit at the end of the season). CIVS906* ELIDE® variety is interesting, representing the medium-late offer of CIV, capable of offering the highest quality fruits even in the final months of the season (April-May-June) ".

C.I.V. CONSORZIO ITALIANO VIVAISTI

Read more:

PROGNOSFRUIT 2026 – Constance, Germany, 5–7 August 2026

11 May 2026
The Prognosfruit Conference is Europe’s leading annual event for the apple and pear sector, bringing together growers from across Europe and beyond. Prognosfruit 2026 will take place in Constance, Germany, from 5 to 7 August 2026 and will mark a special milestone, celebrating 50 years of uninterrupted editions of the event. Registration is now open, and stakeholders are welcome to register via the Prognosfruit website. »

India-Australia Food Beverage Buyer Seller Meet 2026: new opportunities for the Indian food sector in Australia

11 May 2026
From 11 to 15 June 2026, Melbourne and Sydney will host the India-Australia Food Beverage Buyer Seller Meet 2026, an event designed to strengthen trade cooperation. Trade data shows that the growth potential is significant. India’s food and beverage exports to the Oceania region reached USD 528.2 million in 2024, accounting for 2.4% of the region’s total imports, which stood at USD 21.8 billion. »

SE ASIA Meet Up 2026 Full Program Announced

10 May 2026
Southeast Asia’s shifting consumer landscape Southeast Asia is one of the most diverse and dynamic regions for the global fresh fruit and vegetable business. What are the hottest consumer markets? How is retail evolving across the region? And how can fresh produce marketers best position their products? Going digital: new ways to build fresh produce brands While China continues to blaze a trail in digital marketing, online »
PARTNERS