strawberry Variety
UCD Valiant
UCD Valiant delivers early yields with large, firm premium fruit
High yielding, low input quality day neutral
UCD Valiant is a high-yielding day-neutral strawberry from the University of California, Davis, bred for reliable performance across diverse growing environments. It is particularly well suited to warmer day-neutral regions and organic or low-input production systems. The variety produces strong early marketable yields with very large, firm, visually appealing berries and excellent shelf life. With a vigorous plant habit and consistent field performance, UCD Valiant offers growers a dependable choice for early-season supply and premium fresh-market quality.
UCD Valiant Key Features
Significantly higher yields and % marketable fruit
compared with Cabrillo, Monterey, and San Andreas in advanced trials
Strong early-season production
particularly in warmer day-neutral environments
Very large fruit size
averaging 35.3 g per fruit
Improved fruit firmness
supporting improved post-harvest keeping quality
Reliable performance
in organic and low-input systems
Valiant has shown very large fruit size together with impressive flavour.
Jack Beattie – JCLM Farming, Australia
In the winter months Valiant as a Neutral Day, is a heavy producer with fantastic sugar to acid ratio which we believe will be an attractive buying point for well established customers and supermarkets.
Abdallah Al Tayeh – Ayla Farms, Jordan
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 Valiant
R (1)
UCD Moxie
R (1)
UCD Royal Royce
S (3.6)
UC Eclipse
R (1.2)
UC Golden Gate
R (2.0)
UC Keystone
R (1.7)
Verticillium Wilt
UCD Valiant
MR (2)
UCD Moxie
MR (2)
UCD Royal Royce
MR (2.6)
UC Eclipse
MR (2.6)
UC Golden Gate
MR (3.1)
UC Keystone
MR (2.6)
Phytophthora Crown Rot
UCD Valiant
MS (3)
UCD Moxie
MS (3)
UCD Royal Royce
MR (2.4)
UC Eclipse
MR (2.3)
UC Golden Gate
MR (2.7)
UC Keystone
MR (2.44)
Macrophomina Phaseolina
UCD Valiant
S (4)
UCD Moxie
S (4)
UCD Royal Royce
S (3.6)
UC Eclipse
S (3.8)
UC Golden Gate
S (4.0)
UC Keystone
MS (2.7)
Fruit Firmness
UCD Valiant
377 g-force
UCD Moxie
425 g-force
UCD Royal Royce
430 g-force
UC Eclipse
285–266 g-force
UC Golden Gate
303.7 g-force
UC Keystone
260.6 g-force
Fruit Size
UCD Valiant
35.3g avg
UCD Moxie
32.1g avg
UCD Royal Royce
29.7g avg
UC Eclipse
33 g avg
UC Golden Gate
28.7 g per fruit
UC Keystone
28 g per fruit
Brix
UCD Valiant
7.6 °Bx
UCD Moxie
7.6 °Bx
UCD Royal Royce
7.9 °Bx
UC Eclipse
7.4 °Bx
UC Golden Gate
8.1 °Bx
UC Keystone
8.5 °Bx
Marketability
UCD Valiant
84-86 %
UCD Royal Royce
84-91%
UCD Moxie
87-89%
UC Eclipse
80–90 %
UC Golden Gate
84–88 %
UC Keystone
80–85 %
Yield Potential*
UCD Valiant
101-143 t/ha
UCD Moxie
116-160 t/ha
UCD Royal Royce
113-143 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 Valiant Enquiry
"*" indicates required fields