Ohalo partners with industry leaders to accelerate strawberry breeding

Ohalo Genetics has announced the formation of the Ohalo Strawberry Consortium, a partnership with several leading industry players focused on improving strawberry breeding. The consortium’s goal is to offer consumer-preferred strawberry varieties while streamlining the production process, making them available as true seed for the first time.

The Consortium introduces a new hybrid breeding system developed by Ohalo, which eliminates the need for traditional vegetative propagation, a method that has long been used to reproduce strawberry plants by cutting and replanting runner shoots. This system produces uniform seed, allowing for quicker and more consistent germination of field-ready strawberry seedlings. This innovation is expected to reduce production time and costs, as well as minimize pesticide use, addressing key challenges in strawberry farming.

One of the main advantages of this new approach is the ability to shorten breeding cycles, moving from years to months. The hybrid system allows for more predictable breeding outcomes, accelerating the development of new varieties with improved flavor, longer shelf life, and higher yields. The reduction in breeding time and more efficient propagation could also help alleviate some of the pressures farmers face, such as increasing production costs and labor shortages.

“The formation of the Ohalo Strawberry Consortium represents an important step toward improving efficiency and sustainability in strawberry farming,” said Dave Friedberg, CEO of Ohalo. “By working with key partners, we aim to develop varieties that meet the needs of both farmers and consumers, while addressing challenges faced by the industry as a whole.”

The Ohalo Strawberry Consortium aims to make its varieties broadly accessible, allowing farmers worldwide to benefit from the improvements in seed uniformity and production efficiencies. Unlike traditional breeding programs that often restrict access, the Consortium plans to offer these varieties as true seed to growers of all sizes.

The consortium brings together several industry partners, including BlazerWilkinsonGee, California Giant Berry Farms, and Wish Farms, among others. These partners are committing resources to support the widespread adoption of the new system, aiming to drive improvements in strawberry farming practices globally.

By providing a more efficient and sustainable production method, the Ohalo Strawberry Consortium seeks to offer a practical solution to many of the ongoing challenges in strawberry farming. The first varieties developed through this collaboration are expected to undergo field trials next year, with commercial availability following shortly thereafter.