Mitchell Feldmann, an assistant professor and genetics researcher, is the new director of the Strawberry Breeding Program, an internationally recognized public program that has released more than 70 patented cultivars over its storied history. 

The program in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis has been breeding strawberry varieties since the 1930s and is instrumental in providing climate, disease and pest resilient cultivars for the $2.97 billion industry that is among the top ten crops in California in terms of sales. 

Feldmann, who earned his Ph.D. at UC Davis in 2020 and became an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences in 2023, will oversee a staff of more than 20, ranging from high school interns to undergraduates and graduate students to postdoctoral researchers and professional scientists. He is assuming the new role following the retirement of Distinguished Professor Steven Knapp, who served as director of the program since 2015, after decades working in academia and industry. 

“Mitchell Feldmann is an accomplished scientist who knows strawberries and has already contributed greatly to the Strawberry Breeding Program,” said Helene Dillard, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “We’re excited to see him advance and expand upon the exceptional foundation that Steve cultivated. This is an important resource for the public, industry and growers.” 

Knapp said he, strawberry breeder Glenn Cole and others in the program were committed to ensuring the success of Feldmann and the team moving forward. “I am excited about the future of the breeding program under the leadership of Mitchell Feldmann and many others that have contributed and continue to contribute to the ongoing success of the cultivar development and academic research programs,” he said.  

Resistance, hardiness and taste

Breeding strawberries that are resistant to disease and pathogens, able to withstand varying water conditions and changing soil quality, but are also appealing to consumers and growers, are among Feldmann’s top priorities. 

Developing and deploying new molecular marker and genotypic platforms that analyze DNA and detect variants in the field is also a goal, and in the past 18 months, the team has expanded its analysis and evaluation program to screen for bacterial and fungal pathogens of the root, fruit and leaves.

“We want to breed varieties that growers want to grow, that they can make money growing, that are disease resistant and that consumers want to eat,” Feldmann said. “I think we’ve been on the cutting edge of developing tools and technologies and resources and now we get to prioritize deploying the tools and technologies that we have developed to produce better berries for growers and consumers.” 

New this year are also are two interns from the Davis Senior High School robotics club. 

“We’re now working with, training and developing career opportunities for high schoolers as well,” Feldmann said. “They might develop something that is really creative because they are coming from it from a perspective that is completely alien to the perspective that I would come to that problem with. For me, that’s very exciting.”

Harvesting the fruit is also a key concern as strawberry plants may be picked two to three times a week for a total of 50 to 60 harvests, or more, and the labor can account for more than 50% of costs per acre. Developing fruit that is visible, tasty and easily harvested is key to the industry. Robotics may also play a role. 

“We’re exploring strawberry plants that could benefit from mechanical harvesting to help farmers reduce costs, improve industry earnings and improve sustainability,” he said. 

A strawberry liaison 

Feldmann sees himself as a liaison and is excited to lead the program, its research and staff, as well as foster industry relationships. 

“The legacy of this breeding program is literally spread across the United States…and is at the core of a lot of strawberry breeding programs,” he said. “We’re grown in 80 different countries and propagated in more than 30 countries so we have a big global footprint relative to our scale as a program.”