A new five-year £3 million genetic research programme aims to advance the breeding of more sustainable and resilient varieties of soft fruit crops in the UK.
The Defra-funded Soft Fruit Genetic Improvement Network (GIN) aims to advance new biotechnology tools and generate significant genetic data and resources.
The results are set to help breeders introduce beneficial traits so crops can be grown more productively, with less environmental impact.
The project will be led by the crop research organisation NIAB, with James Hutton Institute and ADAS as key partners.
It follows in the footsteps of major agricultural crops, including pulses, oilseed rape and wheat, with a co-ordinated research approach to pre-breeding genetics of key traits and new breeding tools.
Specific targets within the research programme include understanding genetics of improved tolerance to pests and diseases and increased water and nutrient use efficiency in strawberry and raspberry.
It will also develop genetic tools and resources for two underutilised soft fruit crops - blackberry and honeyberry - to assess whether there is potential to increase their production in the UK.
Around 83% of the fruit we consume in the UK is imported, but by working with the industry, researchers say that sustainable varieties could be bred more efficiently to increase UK production.
Professor Xiangming Xu, director of research at NIAB, said the project would be run in close partnership with growers and the research outputs will be made freely available.
"The timing of this project means that we can harness the opportunities created by the recently passed Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, developing cutting-edge genetic tools to develop new resilient varieties, with reduced environmental impact.”
Dr Julie Graham, the GIN’s research lead at James Hutton Institute, warned that the challenges faced by the soft fruit industry were considerable.
"[They] require a team effort of scientists working with industry to develop, utilise and share knowledge of genetic and genomic tools, that will allow the development of new varieties.
"These varieties must improve the economics of production, achieving quality and yield whilst growing with minimal inputs, being more resource efficient and resistant to abiotic and biotic pressures.
"The network will bring together skills and expertise to improve breeding and benefit UK production.”
The research started in the summer and runs until 2029.
