Strawberry seedling varieties with reduced pesticide and fertilizer usage developed by an innovative seedling production technology by a research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University are in the spotlight during the ongoing International Strawberry Symposium held in Yancheng city, Jiangsu province.

Xu Wenping, lead researcher on the team and a professor at the School of Agriculture and Biology of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said at a news briefing on Thursday that the strawberry seedling varieties are fascinating professional visitors from home and abroad at the event that opened on Sunday and have attracted more than 100 potential customers expressing interest in collaboration.

A major challenge faced by the strawberry industry is the continuous degradation of varieties due to microbial infections in open natural environments during the seedling cultivation process, according to experts. In response, the research team led by Xu introduced an innovative seedling production technology that protects the seedlings from virus attacks, effectively addressing the issue of variety degradation.

"We have developed a technology that enables strawberry seedlings to grow rapidly and robustly. These varieties exhibit strong resistance, high survival rates, and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers during cultivation, leading to an increase in profits for farmers," said Xu.

Xu and his partners began validating the feasibility and maturity of this technology in 2021 and established a biotechnology enterprise earlier this year.

"We have already collaborated with over 100 enterprises and production cooperatives in more than 10 provinces across the country, encompassing dozens of strawberry varieties. This year alone, we have attracted more than 200 potential customers for our strawberry seedlings," said Xu.

"This strawberry seedling cultivation technology is poised to revolutionize a multi-billion-yuan industry," he said.

The research team said that the technology has also been applied to the cultivation of other species, including ginger, kiwifruit, blackberries, coffee, ginseng, some aquatic plants, as well as the propagation of endangered plant species, offering immense opportunities for the development and enhancement of the horticultural seedling industry.

Strawberries are highly nutritious and economically valuable crops. China ranks top in the world in terms of strawberry production, with an annual sales value of around 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion).