Abstract

An account is given of current research undertaken on soft fruit breeding at the SCRI, focusing on blackcurrants and raspberries. New sources of resistance to the major UK pests of raspberry, Amphorophora idaei, Resseliella theobaldi and Byturus tomentosus are being investigated, including identification of semiochemicals that stimulate insect attraction and repulsion, isolating genes for wound repair and characterizing genes encoding fungal enzyme inhibitors. Biotechnology is being used at the SCRI to quicken the breeding process in soft fruits, as well as specifically introduce foreign genes such as the cowpea trypsin inhibitor gene into strawberries, which confers resistance to some caterpillars and vine weevils.