https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Strawberries are delicate and hard to harvest—easily bruised and often hidden under a canopy of leaves. This creates headaches for scientists trying to design robotic harvesters. Now a Washington State University-led team has designed one that combines an artificial-intelligence vision system, soft silicone "fingers," and a fan that gently moves leaves out of the way to get at hidden fruit. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-robotic-harvester-ai-vision-soft.html Biotechnology Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:50:03 EDT news676198201 While strawberry production runs from November through April in Florida, digital twin technology lets scientists simulate the growth of the fruit year-round, allowing research to proceed year-round. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-digital-twin-technology-simulates-strawberry.html Agriculture Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:33:13 EDT news668871187 Strawberry fields will forever exist for the in-demand fruit, but the laborers who do the backbreaking work of harvesting them might continue to dwindle. While raised, high-bed cultivation somewhat eases the manual labor, the need for robots to help harvest strawberries, tomatoes, and other such produce is apparent. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-farm-robot-autonomously-harvests-beds.html Biotechnology Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:03:02 EDT news664012981 The modern cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) originates from interspecific hybridization between two octoploid wild species: F. virginiana and F. chiloensis. However, the differences in centromere characteristics and evolutionary patterns between wild and cultivated octoploids have remained poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-scientists-reveal-evolutionary-dynamics-centromeres.html Evolution Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:05:03 EDT news662378702 Climate change is shifting the seasons, pushing crop plants to their limits. For example, sudden frost episodes in late spring can be detrimental to strawberries in the bed. Wild species, on the other hand, are often more resilient. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-genetic-factors-woodland-strawberries-cold.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 29 Nov 2024 13:21:03 EST news652108861 Based on non-invasive technology, a research group at the University of Cordoba has created a tool to guarantee optimal strawberry quality and minimize food waste. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-portable-spectrophotometer-approach-shelf-life.html Biotechnology Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:01:04 EST news650739661 In a few weeks, strawberry growers in southeast Virginia will plant their crop to be harvested in May. But many are concerned about a disease that could drastically reduce next year's yield. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-strawberry-disease-threaten-hampton-roads.html Agriculture Mon, 09 Sep 2024 09:29:27 EDT news645092963 Strawberries, treasured for their flavor and health benefits, have been at the forefront of breeding programs targeting enhanced sensory and nutritional profiles. Despite advances, the intricate genetic makeup of these fruits has complicated efforts to improve them. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-genetic-secrets-strawberries-superior-fruit.html Plants & Animals Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:47:44 EDT news642430061 A research team discovered that the rapid senescence of harvested strawberry "Benihoppe" results from increased perishability, softening, water loss, increased soluble sugars within 2 d, and changes in hormone levels. They found that ABA, JA, and ethylene play crucial roles in the fruit's senescence, impacting biochemical metabolisms, anti-stress responses and softening processes. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-insights-strawberry-senescence-hormonal-interplay.html Plants & Animals Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:11:45 EDT news641556702 Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to research from the University of Waterloo. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-pricier-strawberries-temperatures.html Agriculture Wed, 17 Jul 2024 16:10:01 EDT news640451159 Sweet flavors and healthy ingredients make strawberries one of the world's most popular berries. The complex biochemical compounds that determine the flavor and nutritional value of a strawberry—known as biomarkers—can only be determined in detail by experts using modern analyses. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-strawberries-high-tech-magnifying-glass.html Biotechnology Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:50:01 EDT news639305125 It's time for the start of summer—with a full moon to boot. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-summer-solstice.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:27:24 EDT news638011640 Globally, strawberries are gravely affected by Macrophomina phaseolina, a soilborne fungal pathogen that drastically reduces yields. Following the phase-out of conventional soil fumigants like methyl bromide, there is an urgent need to enhance genetic resistance to this pathogen. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-strawberry-fields-fortified-genetic-insights.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 20 May 2024 14:12:03 EDT news635433122 Strawberries are a global fruit crop treasured for their flavor and nutritional value. However, achieving a balance between high sugar content, which enhances sweetness, and high yield has been a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-sweet-offs-unraveling-genetic-puzzle.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 20 May 2024 14:11:03 EDT news635433062 A research team has discovered a potential role for ethylene in the maturation of strawberry fruits, specifically the true fruit—achenes—embedded in the fleshy receptacle. This finding challenges the traditional view that strawberries have a minimal dependence on ethylene for fruit development. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-rethinking-ripening-ethylene-role-strawberry.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 13 May 2024 14:17:03 EDT news634828621 Strawberries are a vital crop for California, the leading producer of fresh market strawberries in the United States, with a production value of more than $2 billion in 2021. The Central Coast region, encompassing areas like Watsonville and Salinas, plays a pivotal role in strawberry production, contributing significantly to the state's overall production. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-factors-impacting-yield-size-day.html Plants & Animals Thu, 04 Apr 2024 17:04:02 EDT news631469041 Plant leaves come in many different shapes, sizes and complexities. Some leaves are large and smooth, while others are smaller and serrated. Some leaves grow in single pieces while others form multiple leaflets. These variations in leaf structure play a crucial role in how plants adapt—and survive—in different environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-genetic-mechanism-responsible-leaf.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:18:04 EST news627293880 Strawberries owe their distinctive flavor to a complex mixture of sugars, acids, and over 900 volatile compounds, primarily esters, which are produced and degraded by alcohol acyltransferases (AATs) and carboxylesterases (CXEs), respectively. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-secrets-strawberry-aroma-crucial-role.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 08 Jan 2024 17:47:03 EST news623958421 University of Florida scientists have found ethyl vanillin—an aroma compound in many artificial vanilla-flavored food products—in a UF/IFAS-bred strawberry. This is a key finding for the food and beverage industry and for the UF/IFAS strawberry breeding program. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-ethyl-vanillin-specially-bred-strawberry.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:44:03 EST news619285441 Grocery shoppers may have recently noticed that strawberries seem to be closer to the size of small apples. According to one Virginia Tech expert there are reasons for this change and it doesn't include injecting them with chemicals to get the larger than life fruit. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-fruit-consumers-larger-strawberries-year.html Agriculture Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:36:02 EDT news608819761 Strawberry lovers might want to check the provenance of their fruit this summer following controversy about a new farming bill which could cause the devastation of an iconic Spanish wetland. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-world-heritage-wetland-site-threatened.html Ecology Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:32:32 EDT news606569548 Soon, you'll be able to get a box of freshly picked, sweet strawberries from the grocery store or local farm stand. But it's disappointing when you get them home and find that the ones at the bottom have started to rot. To increase the berries' shelf life, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have incorporated cannabidiol—a non-hallucinogenic compound from cannabis known as CBD—and sodium alginate into an edible antimicrobial coating. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-edible-cbd-coating-shelf-life.html Biochemistry Wed, 17 May 2023 11:50:02 EDT news603543001 A research group at the University of Cordoba characterizes a new transcription factor that regulates, during the ripening of strawberries, the production of anthocyanins responsible for giving them their red hue. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-protein-production-strawberries-red.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 09 May 2023 14:56:45 EDT news602863002 The University of California, Davis, is releasing five new strawberry varieties that are resistant to the soilborne disease Fusarium wilt, have high yields and improved fruit quality. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-team-strawberry-varieties-resistant-deadly.html Plants & Animals Tue, 18 Apr 2023 16:02:03 EDT news601052521 Flowers in plants are typically arranged into branched clusters called inflorescences. As flowers produce the seeds and the fruits, inflorescence architecture—the level of branching as well as the final numbers of flowers in each branch—plays a central role in crop productivity. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-inflorescence-architecture-woodland-strawberry-tools.html Plants & Animals Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:52:32 EDT news599917947 As river water gushed through a broken levee, thousands of people in a California farming town were forced to evacuate as their homes were flooded and businesses destroyed. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-california-summer-strawberry-fields.html Environment Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:40:01 EDT news598196003 Have you ever bitten into a plump, red strawberry, only to find it bland and watery? Certain pesticides might be responsible. A team reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that two common strawberry fungicides can impact cellular mechanisms, creating berries with subdued flavor and sweetness, as well as a lower nutritional value. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-strawberries-bland-pesticides-blame.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 27 Feb 2023 13:05:27 EST news596725522 Solitary bees that ingested the pesticide clothianidin when foraging from rapeseed flowers became slower. In addition, the strawberries pollinated by these bees were smaller. This is shown by a new study from Lund University in Sweden. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-strawberries-smaller-bees-ingest-pesticides.html Ecology Thu, 15 Sep 2022 12:08:03 EDT news582462482 Strawberry losses from Fusarium wilt could become less of a threat after researchers at the University of California, Davis, discovered genes that are resistant to the deadly soil-borne disease. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-genes-strawberries-resistant-fusarium-wilt.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 19 Jul 2022 13:27:02 EDT news577456021 The wild strawberry is even more highly prized than its store-bought cousin because of its intense aroma and uniquely sweet taste. However, they're hard to find in the wild, so some companies make synthetic versions of this flavor. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have come up with a naturally derived wild strawberry aroma by having an edible fungus make it from waste from black currant juice production. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-wild-strawberry-aroma-foodsfrom-fungus.html Other Wed, 17 Nov 2021 08:00:01 EST news556352788