strawberry Variety
UCD Royal Royce
The modern premium day-neutral, high yield, exceptional firmness, and reliable quality
Outstanding Day Neutral for the 21st Century Market
Royal Royce is a modern premium day-neutral variety delivering high yields, exceptional firmness, and reliable season-long quality. In UC Davis and Cal Poly trials (2020–2022, Santa Maria and Watsonville), it achieved 22–41% higher marketable yield and around 40% greater firmness than San Andreas. Fruit size and colour are comparable, with improved shelf-life throughout the season. Plants show moderate vigour and reduced stolon production, helping lower labour requirements.
UCD Royal Royce Key Features
Exceptionally high yields
Significant (22-41% in trial) yield improvement on leading competitors with firmer fruit
Shelf Life
impressive improvements in shelf life and transport tolerance
Seasonality
Early-to-mid season with a long harvest window
Reduced runner production
“Royal Royce is redefining the standards for productivity and fruit quality; after seeing its impressive performance here in Colombia, we have high expectations for the upcoming season in Argentina starting this April.”
Laureano Delarmelina – Vivero Altus, Argentina
Comparative Results
Use the dropdown below to select a trait and compare performance across our strawberry varieties. Compare key commercial characteristics across our strawberry genetics, including disease resistance, yield performance, fruit firmness, fruit size, and market suitability.
Fusarium Wilt
UCD Royal Royce
S (3.6)
UCD Moxie
R (1)
UCD Valiant
R (1)
UC Eclipse
R (1.2)
UC Golden Gate
R (2.0)
UC Keystone
R (1.7)
Verticillium Wilt
UCD Royal Royce
MR (2.6)
UCD Moxie
MR (2)
UCD Valiant
MR (2)
UC Eclipse
MR (2.6)
UC Golden Gate
MR (3.1)
UC Keystone
MR (2.6)
Phytophthora Crown Rot
UCD Royal Royce
MR (2.4)
UCD Moxie
MS (3)
UCD Valiant
MS (3)
UC Eclipse
MR (2.3)
UC Golden Gate
MR (2.7)
UC Keystone
MR (2.44)
Macrophomina Phaseolina
UCD Royal Royce
S (3.6)
UCD Moxie
S (4)
UCD Valiant
S (4)
UC Eclipse
S (3.8)
UC Golden Gate
S (4.0)
UC Keystone
MS (2.7)
Fruit Firmness
UCD Royal Royce
430 g-force
UCD Moxie
425 g-force
UCD Valiant
377 g-force
UC Eclipse
285–266 g-force
UC Golden Gate
303.7 g-force
UC Keystone
260.6 g-force
Fruit Size
UCD Royal Royce
29.7g avg
UCD Moxie
32.1g avg
UCD Valiant
35.3g avg
UC Eclipse
33 g avg
UC Golden Gate
28.7 g per fruit
UC Keystone
28 g per fruit
Brix
UCD Royal Royce
7.9 °Bx
UCD Moxie
7.6 °Bx
UCD Valiant
7.6 °Bx
UC Eclipse
7.4 °Bx
UC Golden Gate
8.1 °Bx
UC Keystone
8.5 °Bx
Marketability
UCD Royal Royce
84-91%
UCD Moxie
87-89%
UCD Valiant
84-86 %
UC Eclipse
80–90 %
UC Golden Gate
84–88 %
UC Keystone
80–85 %
Yield Potential*
UCD Royal Royce
113-143 t/ha
UCD Moxie
116-160 t/ha
UCD Valiant
101-143 t/ha
UC Eclipse
3KG+ Per Plant Achieved
UC Golden Gate
110 t/ha
UC Keystone
110 - 120 t/ha
Key:
R – Resistant, S – Susceptible, MR – Moderate Resistance, MS – Moderate Susceptibility, ND – Not Determined
Scale: *ratings on a 1-5 scale
References
*UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program (2015–2024). Multi-year trial data (Oxnard, Santa María, Watsonville
1. UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program (2015–2024). Multi-year trial data (Oxnard, Santa María, Watsonville).
2. Cal Poly Strawberry Center Field Day Handout (Lompoc, May 2024), Tables 1–3.
3. HortScience 58(12): ‘UC Eclipse – A Summer-Plant Photoperiod-Insensitive Strawberry Cultivar’ (2023).
4. HortScience 60(6): ‘UC Surfline – A Short-Day Cultivar with High Early and Sustained Fruit Yields’ (2025).
5. UC Davis Variety Release Sheet: UCD Royal Royce (2019).
6. Coronda Berry Congress 2025 Presentations (Argentina): Slides pp. 5–6 (Royal Royce), pp. 9–10 (Surfline), pp. 13–15 (Eclipse).
7. UC Davis Office of Technology Transfer – Plant Licensing Program (2024).
8. Knapp S. J., Cole G., Brown A., Feldmann M. (2020–2024). UC Davis Strawberry Program Breeding Summaries.
9. Cal Poly and UC Davis joint field reports (2021–2023): Oxnard and Santa María yield summaries.
UCD Royal Royce Enquiry
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