Breeder Nursery Grower
Fruit Grower Shipper Wholesaler/
Retailer Consumer
Runnering
Breakage resistance
Low chilling requirement
Virus tolerance
Disease resistance
Early Yield
Rain resistance
Low cull rate
Skin toughness
Firmness
Size
Shape
Color after cooling
Fruit Size
Gloss
Color uniformity
Shelf life
Sweetness
Internal color
Nutrient content
Traits Along the Value Chain
‘Florida Radiance’
• Released in 2008• Consistent fruit size and shape• Glossy appearance• Early and total yields high• Yields evenly• Very easy to harvest
Weak plant requires careful handling and growingDoes not tolerate early planting very well in
Florida (bullet fruit)
1925 Original legislative appropriationVariety testing – ‘Missionary’
1927 Second appropriationStrawberry Investigations Laboratory
1948 Breeding Initiated –OP Selections1,000 initial selections
1952 ‘Florida 90’ released1963 Operations from Springhead to Dover1968 Controlled Crossing and Selection Began
Important Breeding Goals
• Early, consistent yield– Early varieties– Early planting
• Heat tolerance, low chilling, day neutrality
• Picking efficiency– Low cull rate– Large, consistent size– Robust but open bush architecture
• Consistent quality and flavor
Recent Breeding Progress: A Historical Cultivar Trial
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Avg
Wt (
g)
Year of Release
Balm
Dover
Linear (Balm)
Linear (Dover)
Regression: R2 = 0.44 , slope = 0.26
Sensory Sciences: Trained Sensory Panels
0
1
2
3
4
5
6Seediness
Firmness
Sweetness
Sourness
AstringentStrawberry
Green
Overripe
Woody/musty
‘Florida Beauty’Nov 9, 2016
(planted Sept 29 at FSGA)
GCREC 2016-17 Marketable Yield (flats/acre)
Genotype Nov Dec Total
FL 13.26-134 146 604 750
Radiance 29 493 522
“The science of genetics is relatively young . . .”- A. M. Srb and R. D. Owen, General Genetics, 1952
One, few or many loci?
0102030405060708090
100110120130140150160170180190200
Lg1A B C D
Lg2A B C D
Lg3A B C D
Lg4A B C D
Lg5A B C D
Lg6A B C D
Lg7A B C D
Cg2
Cg1
Pc2
Xf1
DnGd
Phytophthora cactorum = Pc Colletotrichum gloeosporioides = CgXanthamonas fragariae = XfDay-neutrality = DnGamma-decalactone = Gd
One, few or many loci?
0102030405060708090
100110120130140150160170180190200
Lg1A B C D
Lg2A B C D
Lg3A B C D
Lg4A B C D
Lg5A B C D
Lg6A B C D
Lg7A B C D
Total Marketable Yield = TMY
TMYTMY
TMYTMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMYTMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMYTMY
TMY
One, few or many loci?
0102030405060708090
100110120130140150160170180190200
Lg1A B C D
Lg2A B C D
Lg3A B C D
Lg4A B C D
Lg5A B C D
Lg6A B C D
Lg7A B C D
Total Marketable Yield = TMYAverage Fruit Weight = AWT
TMYTMY
TMYTMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMYTMY
TMY
TMY
TMY
TMYTMYAWT
TMYAWT
AWT AWT
AWT
AWTAWT
AWT
AWT
AWT
Genome-Wide Parent SelectionTop 10% Parents Selected
Avg.
Fru
it W
t. (g
)
Population Mean
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0Markers
+ PhenotypesMarkers
Only
Thank You!• Students and Lab Members
– Alan Chambers– Jozer Mangandi– Yanina Perez– Jack Roach– Tomas Hasing– Catalina Moyer– Luis Osorio– David Moore– Jim Sumler– Angelita Arredondo– Kelsey Cearley– Sujeet Verma– Zhen Fan– Wantanee Prescott– Claire Martin– Natalia Salinas– Ashlee Anciro– John Nelson
• Key Collaborators– Seonghee Lee– Kevin Folta– Natalia Peres– Anne Plotto– Cecilia Nunes
• Funding and Support