Mar 20, 2025

California Berry Cultivars expands variety portfolio

California Berry Cultivars LLC has commercially released two new strawberry varieties.

Castaic and Alhambra are “breakthrough additions” to CBC’s established varieties Adelanto, Belvedere and Alturas, creating the industry’s “most comprehensive portfolio addressing critical production challenges,” according to a news release.

Castaic emerges as a yield powerhouse for short-day strawberry production. Routinely achieving yields exceeding 8,000 trays per acre, Castaic redefines productivity standards for modern strawberry cultivation in Southern California, according to the release.

“Castaic shows that we still have significant room to push yield boundaries in strawberry breeding,” Kyle VandenLangenberg, CBC’s director of research & development, said in the release. “Its performance in commercial trials has consistently outpaced industry benchmarks while maintaining substantial berry size throughout the entire harvest season.”

Complementing the Castaic release, Alhambra addresses a decade-long challenge in the day-neutral summer strawberry market. Following CBC’s tradition of flavor-focused breeding, Alhambra delivers robust commercial yields while providing the rich sweetness consumers demand, offering growers a viable alternative with the quality buyers require, according to the release.

“With Alhambra joining our established varieties, CBC now offers solutions across the full spectrum of production windows and agronomic challenges,” VandenLangenberg, said in the release. “Our commitment to solving grower problems continues to drive our breeding program forward.”

Adelanto, CBC’s first release, transformed early-season production with yields of 1,500-2,000 trays per acre by March 1 in Southern California, creating immediate cash flow advantages for growers transitioning from deficit to profitability. True to its Spanish name meaning “forward,” Adelanto pushed the industry forward with excellent shipping quality and strong Macrophomina resistance, according to the release.

Belvedere set new standards for flavor in short-day production with consistently high brix levels and distinctive aroma that maintain superior taste profiles beyond peak season. Its dual-yield advantage delivers notable early production with outstanding total yield potential, while its elite resistance to Macrophomina significantly reduces crop loss, according to the release.

Alturas emerged as the practical solution to the devastating spread of fusarium in California’s day-neutral production. Its reliable resistance protects investments while delivering among the highest total yields available in its category, coupled with attractive large, light-red berries with juiciness and efficient open plant architecture.

“All five CBC varieties share our dedication to disease resistance, yield improvement and excellent eating quality,” VandenLangenberg explained. “With each new release, we’re solving critical challenges while raising expectations for what growers can achieve with modern strawberry varieties.”

CBC has scheduled a field day in early May in Watsonville, California, where the company plans to introduce a new day-neutral variety to complement Alturas, as well as a highly disease-resistant cultivar specifically developed for organic day-neutral production.

Based in Oxnard, California, CBC combines traditional breeding with modern science to develop strawberry varieties that address the industry’s most pressing challenges. Established in 2014, CBC works to produce varieties providing disease resistance, improved yields and high flavor profiles across short-day, day-neutral and summer-plant production systems.