Scientists have developed a new variety of bruise-resistant strawberries that is likely to be available in stores this year, the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute said on Wednesday.
A variety called Tainung No. 1 (台農1號) was announced after a decade of cross-pollinating the Taoyuan No. 1 (桃園1號) — also known as the fenghsiang (豐香) — and perfume (香水) varieties, the institute said.
Taoyuan, the male parent of the new variety, is the most widely cultivated strawberry in Taiwan, institute director-general Lin Hsueh-shih (林學詩) said.
Photo: CNA
The popular variety originated in Europe, according to farmer lore, and is marked by robust health and high yield, although it has a light flavor, Lin said.
Assistant researcher Hsiao Yi-chu (蕭翌柱) used a perfume strawberry, which has a bold flavor, as the female parent to create a better-tasting hybrid, Lin said.
The new variety is also more resilient against mildew, he said.
The resulting fruit, which can be eaten fresh or processed, has a strong scent, vivid color and a firmness like sticky rice, he said.
One plant of the new variety can produce 950g of strawberries each season, less than perfume at 1.1kg, but more than Taoyuan at 800g, Lin said.
Agrotourism enterprises have been granted permission to grow the Tainung strawberries, which should create a nationwide harvest of about NT$1.4 billion (US$49.8 million), he said.
The Chin Lin Agrotourism Farm in Chiayi County and the Taiyi Eco-Recreational Farm in Nantou County are growing the berries on a combined area of 530 hectares, the institute said, adding that harvests are expected before the end of this year.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Weather conditions across Taiwan are expected to remain stable today, but cloudy to rainy skies are expected from tomorrow onward due to increasing moisture in the atmosphere, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). Daytime highs today are expected to hit 25-27°C in western Taiwan and 22-24°C in the eastern counties of Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung, data on the CWA website indicated. After sunset, temperatures could drop to 16-17°C in most parts of Taiwan. For tomorrow, precipitation is likely in northern Taiwan as a cloud system moves in from China. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 25°C, the CWA said. Starting Monday, areas
RSS