Table grape production in California demonstrates how breeding innovations keep the industry moving forward. Senior Fresh Produce Analyst for RaboResearch, David Magaña said that growers have been shifting away from more traditional varieties over the last few years. The industry seems to be adopting more of the licensed varieties which can offer more input efficiency and higher yields.
“In California, despite some of the decline in acreage, production has remained about the same over the last few years and that is because of the adoption of these new technologies. That is not genetically modified plants, but just the traditional breeding,” said Magaña. “We see that also in other growing regions, such as in Peru, in South Africa, this adoption of new cultivars has been moving really fast.”
Listen to the radio report below.
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