New Directions for Strawberry Research in the 2020s

Abstract

Advances in the areas of strawberry breeding, production, and pest management are the subjects of new research presented every four years at the North American Strawberry Symposium (NASS). The NASS is an international conference hosted by the North American Strawberry Growers Association; the 2023 symposium was held in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. This editorial review is intended to serve as an introduction to the research topics and institutions represented at the 2023 NASS, and the corresponding Special Article Collection published in the International Journal of Fruit Science. The previous three NASS conferences examined extending production seasons, tailoring production systems to growing environments, and promoting soil health. The 2023 NASS explored new developments in genomics-informed breeding, production automation, and alternative pest management among other topics of keen interest for the strawberry industry. There was strong representation from the host state of California, including research teams from the Cal Poly Strawberry Centre, the University of California Davis, and several private agri-tech ventures. As well, presenters from Pakistan, South Africa, Italy, and Australia brought a global perspective to current breeding, production, and pest management challenges. This NASS 2023 Special Article Collection highlights the major themes of pesticide reduction, data science, and climate change, which are key targets for applied strawberry research in the 2020s.