World Outreach Helps Strawberry Breeding Program

UF/IFAS-BRED STRAWBERRIES are grown in over 70 countries across six continents. One of those countries, Egypt, ranks among the top strawberry producing nations in the world.

- BRAD BUCK

So, it seems fitting that an Egyptian-American scientist is leading an effort to facilitate the expansion of production of UF/IFAS-bred strawberries internationally.

Behind the United States, which grew 1.6 billion pounds of strawberries in 2017, are Mexico, Egypt and Turkey. It’s a $300 million per year crop in Florida, primarily in the west-central part of the state.

UF/IFAS strawberries are adapted to the unique conditions of central Florida. As a result, they include low chilling, high early yield, excellent shelf life and outstanding flavor, Whitaker said. Those traits make these varieties useful outside of Florida, particularly in regions of the world where strawberries are grown in the winter and early spring.