Arabfields, ilhem Saàdoun, Correspondent, Kobe, Japan — Japanese agri-tech company CULTA has filed three new strawberry varieties for registration, adding to a breeding programme designed to help growers cope with warmer weather and changing production conditions.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries published the applications on August 4, 2026, covering CULTA-T16KLN, CULTA-T22KLN and CULTA-T27KLN. The three varieties were developed for different combinations of flavour, yield, fruit quality and transportability.

The move comes as strawberry growers face a practical problem that is becoming harder to ignore. Higher temperatures in autumn can affect flower bud formation and planting schedules, while warmer conditions during the growing season can make both yields and quality less predictable.

For farmers, that uncertainty can have a direct impact on income. A variety that performs well in controlled trials is not enough if the fruit is difficult to harvest, handle or transport. CULTA has therefore placed particular emphasis on characteristics that can make production and distribution easier.

The first of the new varieties, CULTA-T16KLN, marketed as DARUMA DROPS, is an early variety with uniform fruit shape and good eating quality. Its relatively firm fruit surface is intended to improve its ability to withstand transport.

CULTA-T22KLN, known as YUKIMI DROPS, has been developed as a white strawberry with stronger eating quality and yield than existing white varieties. It also has resistance to some diseases, a feature that could become increasingly valuable as growers deal with changing weather conditions.

The third variety, CULTA-T27KLN or NADESHIKO DROPS, is a pink strawberry aimed at combining aroma, flavour and high yields. Its firm fruit should also make it suitable for transport, while the company says it is better able to maintain quality during the warmer conditions experienced in spring.

The three applications bring CULTA’s number of publicly announced strawberry varieties to four. Its first variety, CULTA-T3L, marketed as SAKURA DROPS, was made public in 2025 and has already moved into commercial production trials. In early 2026, three growers participating in a trial with JA Nishimikawa began producing the variety, partly in response to concerns over heat and the difficulty of exporting softer-fruited strawberries.

What sets CULTA’s approach apart is the speed at which it says new varieties can be developed. Using artificial intelligence and controlled growing environments, the company says it has reduced a process that commonly takes about 10 years to roughly two years. That could become increasingly important as growers look for varieties adapted to conditions that are changing faster than traditional breeding programmes can respond.

The three new varieties are still at the application stage, so commercial availability will depend on the registration process and subsequent production development. CULTA says it is already preparing cultivation with partner growers in different parts of Japan.

The outlook is therefore less about replacing traditional strawberries overnight and more about giving growers additional choices. If the new varieties perform in commercial fields as expected, the company could gradually expand production of strawberries designed for warmer conditions, longer transport routes and premium markets.

CULTA’s 2026 progress also points to a broader shift in Japanese horticulture. As climate conditions become less predictable, breeding programmes that can respond quickly may give growers a practical way to adapt without abandoning established production systems. For farmers deciding what to plant in the seasons ahead, that flexibility could prove just as important as flavour or appearance.