Summary of the presentation "New breeding techniques: those who do not implement them lose competitiveness" by Bruno Mezzetti (Polytechnic University of Marche), presented as part of the Berry Area 2026 programme.
Genetic innovation is establishing itself as an essential factor for the competitiveness of the berry supply chain.
Driven by current climate, phytosanitary and commercial challenges, varietal improvement is evolving rapidly, integrating genomic selection, new biotechnologies and quantitative sustainability criteria.
The traditional approach is giving way to strategies capable of processing huge amounts of genetic variability, focusing with greater precision on agronomic sustainability, sensory quality and the commercial identity of new cultivars.
Listen to the full audio of Bruno Mezzetti's presentation on Spotify
Key takeaways
1. Seed propagation can become a strategic step.
The use of F1 hybrids is emerging as a decisive alternative to vegetative propagation, reducing the risks of pathogen transfer and the need to maintain mother plants. The challenge remains the complex stabilization of inbred lines, which is necessary to limit inbreeding depression.
2. Genomic selection and NGTs are becoming competitive tools.
The integration of genomic selection and NGT technologies, such as cisgenesis, RNAi and CRISPR gene editing, is no longer just an academic prospect. It is becoming a necessity to accelerate the isolation and transfer of key agronomic traits, overcoming the slowness of traditional crossing.
3. Sustainability is entering varietal assessment.
Life Cycle Assessment is emerging as a new quantitative indicator for varietal release. New cultivars are also assessed according to their carbon footprint, measured in kg CO2 equivalent, and the benefits generated by reduced requirements for agronomic inputs and plant protection products.
4. Fruit quality can be read through its metabolic architecture.
Selection criteria are increasingly being refocused on QTL analysis and advanced sensory tests, in order to identify markers linked to sugar-acid balance, texture and the profile of volatile organic compounds.
5. The varietal market is saturated and requires a scale strategy.
In a hyper-competitive context, exemplified by the 44 new strawberry varieties registered in Europe in 2019 alone, commercial success requires prior classification of the genetic potential: global, regional, local or company niche.
What emerges from the presentation
The traditional breeding process, based on large crossing programmes capable of generating hundreds of thousands of genotypes every year, is undergoing a necessary and profound rethink.
The classical model often operates with very low selection rates, around 2%, and is based on a long empirical funnel in which much of the variability is progressively discarded before reaching a commercially viable cultivar.
To overcome this inefficiency, the structural integration of advanced phenotyping and genomic selection is becoming an increasingly central operating standard.
This approach makes it possible to map and predict at an early stage the expression of decisive quality traits, from structural firmness to acid-sugar balance, through to the synthesis of volatile organic compounds.
Browse and download the full presentation
From empirical breeding to predictive breeding
The new frontier of genetic improvement is not only about generating more crosses, but about reading the potential of genotypes earlier and more accurately.
Genomics, QTLs, phenotyping and sensory tests make it possible to anticipate selection, reducing time, costs and the dispersion of useful variability.
Sensory quality becomes a measurable objective
In the new breeding of berries, quality is no longer described only in generic terms of taste or appearance.
Selection increasingly focuses on the metabolic architecture of the fruit, meaning the set of biochemical characteristics that determine the consumption experience.
Through QTL analysis and the use of advanced sensory tests, breeders seek to identify markers linked to sugar-acid balance, firmness, crunchiness, aroma and volatile organic compounds.
The result is closer alignment between genetic development, market requirements and the actual consumer response.
Seed propagation: a discontinuity in the nursery model
At the same time, the nursery base is going through a phase of major discontinuity, repeatedly described as potentially game-changing.
On the one hand, the adoption of micropropagation associated with soilless cultivation of mother plants is becoming consolidated, as a system capable of guaranteeing plug material with high sanitary purity.
On the other, industrial interest is growing in strawberry varieties that can be reproduced by seed in the form of F1 hybrids.
Gamic propagation promises to drastically reduce phytosanitary risks, limiting viral transfer and simplifying the management of nursery stocks. However, the creation of stable inbred lines remains complex, due to problems linked to inbreeding depression and germination capacity.
| Innovation | Function in the supply chain | Expected impact |
|---|---|---|
| Genomic selection | Predicts the genetic value of new genotypes at an early stage. | Shorter selection times and greater breeding precision. |
| NGTs | Allow specific traits to be inserted or modulated more rapidly. | Targeted improvement of resistance, adaptability and quality. |
| Seed-propagated F1 hybrids | Offer an alternative to traditional vegetative propagation. | Lower phytosanitary risks and more flexible nursery management. |
| Life Cycle Assessment | Measures the environmental impact of new cultivars. | Quantitative assessment of varietal sustainability. |
| Sensory tests and VOCs | Connect genetics, fruit metabolism and the consumption experience. | Development of cultivars more aligned with market expectations. |
NGTs and resistance: accelerating what traditional breeding slows down
New Genomic Techniques support the adaptability of new cultivars in contexts of increasing climate variability.
Tools such as gene editing, cisgenesis and RNAi offer the possibility to accelerate the introduction of specific traits, especially when traditional improvement is too slow or risks eliminating useful genetic variability.
The value of these technologies is particularly relevant for genetic resistance, response to environmental stresses and adaptation to more sustainable production systems.
Pending full regulatory clarification in Europe, NGTs represent one of the most concrete levers to increase the speed of varietal innovation and reduce the competitive gap with other production areas.
Sustainability enters the selection criteria
Sustainability is no longer just a communication topic, but is entering the quantitative criteria used to assess the potential of a new cultivar.
Through Life Cycle Assessment models, breeders can measure the environmental footprint of varieties and demonstrate the benefits generated by lower requirements for inputs, phytosanitary treatments or agronomic interventions.
In this framework, the indicator in kg CO2 equivalent becomes a tool for comparing new varietal solutions both genetically and commercially.
Variety as a sustainability technology
A more resistant, more efficient cultivar, better suited to the production context, can reduce treatments, inputs and waste.
For this reason, genetics becomes an operational sustainability tool, measurable not only in the field but also through comparable environmental indicators.
A saturated varietal market imposes more selective choices
The urgency of structuring complex technology programmes is fully justified by current commercial dynamics.
The supply chain operates in a highly congested varietal landscape, clearly represented by the release of 44 new strawberry varieties patented in the European Union in a single year.
In this scenario, proposing new genetic material is not enough. The cultivar must have a precise commercial identity and clear scale potential.
Some genetics may be suitable for global networks, others for specific regional areas or company niches. Without this focus, many new selections end up in the no impact category, quickly disappearing without generating economic impact for the supply chain.
In summary
Berry breeding is entering a phase in which genetic innovation, data, sustainability and market must be interpreted as parts of a single system.
Genomic selection, NGTs, seed propagation and LCA assessment are not separate tools, but components of a new decision-making platform to develop cultivars that are faster to select, more sustainable to grow and more recognizable on the market.
The challenge for breeders and for the supply chain will be to avoid the accumulation of new varieties without commercial direction, focusing investments instead on genetics capable of generating real competitive value.
