A "weatherproof" straw berry plant which needs less sunlight and can withstand bad weather has been developed by Irish scientists working at Clonroche, Co Wexford.
Teagasc soft fruit experts hope the new strain of strawberry, which has not yet been given a name but carries the number Clonroche Seedling 380, may help resolve the many difficulties facing Irish producers.
Mr Finain Mac Naeidhe, Teagasc's soft fruit expert, said he believed that the new plant used in conjunction with new methods of growing soft fruit in tunnels could help defeat the greatest problem facing growers, the lack of labour.
"The new strain performed well and delivered 16-20 tonnes of fruit per hectare, while established strains had to be replaced and did not perform well at all," he said.
"While the fruit from it is slightly smaller than the established plants, it does not need artificial colouring, which is a bonus for the consumer.
"We also found that by using the plant in growing tunnels we can extend the growing season from April to November instead of the traditional June, July, August season," he said.
Mr Mac Naeidhe said that, using the latest tunnel methods of production, a quarter-acre of land would produce as much as an acre of uncovered land and, while this required a big investment from growers, Teagasc believed the returns would justify the outlay.
"It also means the growers can offer a full summer's work rather than squeezing all their production into those three months."
Meanwhile, pressure is continuing on the Government to issue work permits to fruit-pickers from Russia and Latvia to work with this year's crop.
Mr Mac Naeidhe said he was supporting the call by growers in Wexford, where Teagasc held an open day yesterday for the industry, and others to allow pickers into the State.