At the Queensland Department of Agriculture's Maroochy research centre on the Sunshine Coast, senior scientist Jodi Neal and her team are combining natural breeding techniques and cutting-edge science to develop new varieties for all of Australia's major growing regions.
Jodi Neal and her team have already perfected the colour of the strawberry, which is white-fleshed to its core. The focus is on improving fruit quality, flavour, disease resistance, shelf life, climate tolerance and providing consumers with more variety.
"If you go into the supermarket and look at apples, for example, you have your Pink Lady, your Jazz, your Red Delicious, and they all look different, they taste different and we want to be able to give strawberry eaters that same choice," Dr Neal said.
As reported on abc.net.au, Hort Innovation funds the national program using levies from the Australian strawberry industry that are matched by the Australian Government.
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