In an analysis of trends in berry breeding, John Reuben Clark—Distinguished Professor of Horticulture at the University of Arkansas, with over 40 years dedicated to fruit improvement—argues that the industry is experiencing a cyclical shift: the capacity to rapidly generate commercial varieties is growing, but the need to protect the “raw material” of innovation—germplasm—is becoming increasingly evident. blueberryHe explains that this genetic diversity is what allows us to open new avenues for productive adaptation and respond to increasingly specific market demands.

Clark points out that much of the progress that sustains the global industry today was built on decades of accumulated public work. From that perspective, his message is clear: commercial growth is key, but without genetic diversity, the system loses its capacity to renew itself.

From public domain to private push

The researcher describes a marked transition over the last 25 years. Improvement efforts ceased to be led almost exclusively by public programs (universities and USDA-ARS) and shifted to a scenario where private breeding took center stage. As an example, he mentions the development of Driscoll's, which began with strawberries and then expanded its work to raspberries, blackberries, and blueberrywith sustained investment and a broad portfolio of patented varieties.

This change, he points out, has also had effects on access to new varieties for the open market, especially for producers who are not integrated into trade organizations or "varietal clubs," a segment that remains relevant in berries in the United States.

Two logics: commercial variety versus germplasm

According to Clark, private breeding programs tend to focus on market-ready varieties because they need both a return on investment and speed to sustain the innovation business. This necessitates working with already advanced parent strains and combining traits in shorter cycles.

Germplasm, on the other hand, follows a different logic. Incorporating genetic diversity means working with materials that often don't meet current commercial standards and require more time to develop into valuable products. However, it is precisely this work that enables the next leaps forward: new adaptations, tolerances, quality improvements, and the ability to respond to changing conditions.

John R. Clark received the 2022 Ambassador Chad Finn Award from the American Pomological Society. © Fred Miller, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Why the public role remains strategic

The academic emphasizes that germplasm development is slow and demanding, and does not always produce immediate results. As a reference, he mentions the incorporation of low-chill germplasm into blueberry programs since the 1950s: a process that took decades before being reflected in the varietal offerings that now allow production in areas with less chill accumulation.

Therefore, he argues that institutions like USDA-ARS remain particularly well-suited to supporting diversity lines, genetic research, and long-term work. He also warns that recent cuts to public programs increase uncertainty, even among young plant breeders, at a time when the sector needs continuity rather than disruption.

John Clark inspects blackberry plants at the Fruit Research Station of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in Clarksville. © University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Licensing germplasm: a path to collaboration

A key proposal from Clark is that public germplasm could be licensed to private programs. This would not involve licensing commercial varieties, but rather parental lines and materials that contribute to diversity and accelerate the development of new cultivars. This model could also generate resources to strengthen public germplasm work and make it more sustainable.

In that context, he recalls three structural facts: many current varieties originate from public programs; much of the genetic material used by private programs also comes from those programs; and the training of plant breeders occurs, to a large extent, in public universities.

Genetic editing: great potential, no automatic replacement

Finally, the academic addresses gene editing as a tool with enormous potential for improvement. However, he argues that it is unlikely to immediately replace the value of traditional genetic diversity. In his view, the industry's success is explained by the combination of public and private advances, and the challenge is to sustain this engine without losing the foundation that fuels it.

Read also: 

Applied research in blueberries: new studies now available for download at Blueberries Consulting

Blueberry: Four applied studies are now available for download from Blueberries Consulting

Variety-directed nutrition: sufficiency ranges for new blueberry genetics at Lima 2026

New Rabbiteye blueberry variety aims to push known limits