Rupert Hargreaves

The University of California, Davis Strawberry Breeding Programme is entering an exciting new chapter.

Global Plant Genetics would like to thank the valued team members who have recently retired or moved on from their roles, while welcoming those now leading the development of the next generation of UC Davis strawberries within one of the world’s foremost strawberry breeding programmes.

Distinguished Professor Steven Knapp led the programme from 2015 until his retirement, overseeing major advances in strawberry breeding, genetics and genomics. His work strengthened the programme’s focus on disease resistance, fruit quality, yield and modern breeding technologies.

Strawberry breeder Glenn Cole brought extensive commercial experience to the selection, testing and development of new varieties, helping ensure that breeding progress delivered practical benefits for growers, nurseries and the wider industry.

Together with the wider UC Davis team, Steven and Glenn contributed to an exceptional period of varietal development, including the Royal Royce generation, and the more recent UC Eclipse, UC Golden Gate, UC Keystone, UC Monarch and UC Surfline.

We also thank Michael Carriere for his important contribution to Plant Variety Licensing. His expertise in intellectual property, licensing and commercialisation helped create pathways for UC Davis innovations to reach nurseries and growers around the world.

GPG now looks forward to working even more closely with Dr Mitchell Feldmann, Director of the Strawberry Breeding Program.

His research combines genetics, genomic selection, high-throughput phenotyping and data-led breeding to address key challenges including disease resistance, fruit quality and production efficiency.

We are also pleased to continue developing our relationship with Isaac Rainwater, recently promoted to Assistant Director of Plant Variety Licensing, who will support the protection, licensing and global commercial development of UC Davis varieties with GPG.

As an international master licensee for UC Davis strawberry genetics, GPG is proud to support the journey of these varieties from breeding and selection through to licensed nurseries and growers worldwide.

We sincerely thank Steven, Glenn and Michael for their contribution and look forward to the next chapter with Mitchell, Isaac and the wider UC Davis team.