The Ohalo Strawberry Consortium has been officially launched, marking a transformative moment in the strawberry industry. Spearheaded by Ohalo® in collaboration with major players such as California Giant Berry Farms, Naturipe Berry Growers, Wish Farms, and others, the initiative aims to introduce strawberry varieties that are more flavorful, sustainable, and economically viable.
At the heart of this effort is Ohalo’s proprietary non-GMO hybrid breeding system, which will provide farmers worldwide with uniform strawberry true seed, a major departure from traditional propagation methods.
Traditionally, strawberry plants are reproduced vegetatively through runners, a slow and costly process that adds operational complexity. Ohalo’s breeding technology eliminates the need for this system by producing true hybrid seed that can germinate quickly into uniform, field-ready plants.
This innovation reduces production time, cuts costs, and minimizes pesticide use, creating both economic and environmental benefits for farmers and nurseries.
Leadership and breeding innovation
The Consortium has appointed Dr. Philip Stewart, widely known as “Dr. Strawberry,” to lead breeding efforts. Stewart, formerly at Driscoll’s where he directed global strawberry breeding for 17 years, emphasized that consumers, retailers, and farmers have long faced trade-offs between flavor, shelf life, yield, and cost.
Ohalo’s hybrid breeding technology promises to overcome these limitations by offering strawberries with enhanced flavor, better shelf life, and consistent quality without sacrificing productivity.
Unlike conventional breeding, which produces unpredictable results from each generation, Ohalo’s non-GMO hybrid system ensures precise and reliable outcomes. This accelerates breeding cycles, making it possible to develop improved varieties at unprecedented speed.
The Consortium expects its first varieties to enter field trials within a year, with commercial availability following soon after, signaling a rapid path to industry adoption.
Open access and global impact
Another distinctive feature of the Ohalo Consortium is its commitment to open access. While many breeding programs restrict new varieties to select growers, Ohalo will make its hybrid seeds available broadly across the industry, ensuring that growers worldwide — regardless of size or geography — can benefit from the innovation.
This inclusivity is expected to amplify the impact of the Consortium on global strawberry production.
By uniting a powerful coalition of industry leaders, the Ohalo Strawberry Consortium positions itself as a catalyst for reshaping the future of strawberries. With its groundbreaking true seed model, it promises to deliver resilient, productive, and more flavorful fruit to farmers, retailers, and consumers alike.
As industry partners have affirmed, this initiative represents not just incremental change but the beginning of a new era for strawberries worldwide.
Fonte: prnewswire.com
Image source: Ohalo
