Traditional strawberry breeding programs can take 8-12 years and cost millions of dollars to develop a single new variety. However, a new collaboration between Heritable Agriculture, Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV), and Mastronardi Produce is set to disrupt this timeline using AI-powered predictive breeding.
Why Greenhouse Strawberries Need a New Approach
Greenhouse and soilless strawberry production demand specific genetic traits—consistent flavor, extended shelf life, disease resistance, and high productivity—that traditional field breeding struggles to optimize. According to a 2023 report by Rabobank, the global greenhouse strawberry market is growing at 6-8% annually, driven by consumer demand for year-round, high-quality fruit. Yet, conventional breeding remains slow and inefficient for controlled environments.
How AI is Accelerating Genetic Gains
Heritable’s AI-driven predictive breeding platform uses multi-omic data (genomics, phenomics, and environmental factors) to:
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Simulate plant performance before field trials, reducing trial-and-error cycles.
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Optimize key traits (flavor, disease resistance, yield) for greenhouse conditions.
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Cut breeding timelines by 50% or more, bringing superior varieties to market faster.
Dr. Brad Zamft, CEO of Heritable, states: “Our AI models allow breeders to predict outcomes with unprecedented accuracy, making genetic selection faster and more precise than ever.”
A Powerful Trio: Germplasm, AI, and Market Expertise
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CIV brings 40+ years of elite strawberry genetics and a vast germplasm library.
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Heritable contributes machine learning and predictive analytics.
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Mastronardi provides commercial-scale greenhouse expertise and retail distribution.
Federico Stanzani, Director General of CIV, emphasizes: “This partnership merges tradition with innovation, ensuring rapid responses to market demands.”
Beyond Strawberries: A Model for Other Crops
Heritable’s AI platform is not limited to strawberries—it’s already being applied to tomatoes, spinach, and peppers, offering growers a scalable tool for crop improvement.
A New Era for Controlled-Environment Agriculture
This collaboration marks a paradigm shift in crop breeding, where AI, genetics, and agronomic expertise converge to create superior, market-ready varieties in half the time. For farmers, agronomists, and scientists, this means:
✔ Faster access to high-performance varieties
✔ Greater precision in trait selection
✔ Improved sustainability and profitability
As Paul J. Mastronardi puts it: “This isn’t just about better strawberries—it’s about redefining how we breed crops for the future.”
