2019 ASHS Annual Conference

The University of Florida (UF) strawberry breeding program has recently been employing advanced biotechnology and genetic engineering technologies for new cultivar development. Using genetic engineering methods such as CRISPR-based gene editing and somaclonal variation, we are able to enhance new superior cultivar development for fruit quality and disease resistance. Due to the complexities of deregulation and persistent social barriers to genetically engineered, this new type of non-GMO technology has much greater potential than traditional GMO technologies for developing new and superior strawberry cultivars. We anticipate that gene-editing and somaclonal variation can be used to bring strawberries to the growers and industry with improvements in yield, disease resistance, shelf life, nutrition and other valuable attributes. To utilize the CRISPR gene-editing technology for octoploid strawberry, we first developed and optimized tissue culture and transformation system for the main UF breeding varieties such as Sweet Sensation, Florida Beauty and Florida Brilliance. Somaclonal variation (SV) is effective tool to improve diseae resistance and fruit quality in cultivated strawberry. Strawberry varieties developed by SV do not regulated as GM crop especially in Euroupe. We are currently developing clonal variants of important commercial strawberry varieties for disease resistance combining with superior fruit quality. In this presentation, we will discuss about recent advances in genetic engineering to improve fruit quality and disease resistance, and future perspectives for genetic engineered strawberry fruits.