CHAMPAIGN, ILL.— Farmers have long struggled with getting ripe strawberries to market in good shape, but scientists say the recent mapping of the wild strawberry's genome may help them produce berries that are cheaper and easier to grow and arrive in stores in peak condition.
The woodland strawberry has become one of only a handful of food plants to have its genetic sequence charted, and scientists said the map could help them cut years off the time that it would take to produce similar results with traditional plant breeding techniques. But farmers and researchers also say the strawberry's genome isn't likely to be used to its full potential because of consumers' concerns about genetically modified foods.
Nate Nourse, who grows strawberries and other berries in Whately, Mass., said he saw a lot of potential in the strawberry genome map. Many of the strawberries he sells are what he calls June strawberries — sweet, sugary and something special for the few summer weeks they're available.
"But you can't hardly ship them because of the sugar content in them. The more sugar, the less shelf life," he said. He added, "This genetic stuff is going to help people understand what it is to make the sugars better."
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