Gene-Edited Goldenberries Pass USDA Review, Move Closer to American Farms

Gene-edited fruits in the produce aisle may be coming soon

A gene-edited goldenberry variety has passed a critical regulatory checkpoint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bringing the antioxidant-rich fruit one step closer to commercial cultivation in America. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory used CRISPR technology to create compact plants that solve the farming challenges keeping this nutritious berry confined to specialty markets.

The USDA determined the new variety does not qualify as a regulated article under plant pest regulations, confirming the final plants contain no introduced foreign DNA. The research team is now seeking Food and Drug Administration approval before commercial food use can begin. For consumers, this progress could eventually make the nutrient-dense fruit more widely available.

What’s a Goldenberry?

Despite their nutritional benefits, goldenberries have remained a minor crop grown mainly in Colombia, which produces more than 20,000 tons annually. Wild goldenberry plants grow into large, unmanageable bushes requiring labor-intensive staking and trellising. This sprawling growth made large-scale production impractical for most farmers.

Published in Planets, People, Planet, the study used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to modify two copies of a gene called ERECTA in the plant’s genome. The edited plants are 35% shorter than their wild relatives, with spaces between leaves reduced by 50%. This compact growth allows farmers to plant berries closer together and eliminates the need for support structures.

How Scientists Created Compact Goldenberry Plants

The team applied knowledge from previous work on related crops like tomato and groundcherry. The scientists designed guide RNAs, the molecular tools that direct the editing machinery to specific genes, to target the plant architecture genes.

After creating the initial gene edits in an Indian goldenberry variety, researchers crossbred it with a South African variety preferred for fruit flavor. Through two rounds of backcrossing and final self-pollination, they recovered compact plants with appealing taste. Genome sequencing confirmed the editing process left no foreign genetic material.

Smaller Berries, Easier Farming

The compact plants maintain the same fruit production as wild varieties, though individual berries are smaller. The edited fruits weigh about 3.3 grams each compared to 6.1 grams for conventional goldenberries. This places them slightly below the 3.8 gram “small” goldenberries currently sold in stores, though the difference is minimal. Stores also sell “large” goldenberries averaging 7.4 grams. The researchers note the smaller size remains commercially viable.

Field trials demonstrated the compact varieties grow in neat rows similar to other commercial berries, rather than sprawling across planting beds. This orderly growth allows for more efficient harvesting and higher yields per acre.

What FDA Approval Would Mean

The researchers are seeking FDA approval, which would allow growers to begin commercial production. Consumer demand for diverse, nutritious berries continues climbing. Global berry production has expanded substantially over the past decade, with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries seeing increased cultivation worldwide.

Goldenberries currently appear in specialty US grocery stores year-round, imported primarily from Colombia. Domestic production would reduce transportation costs and could lower prices for consumers. The fruits are eaten fresh, dried like raisins, or processed into jams and condiments.

Native to Peru, goldenberries have been consumed in the Andean region for centuries, dating to the Inca Empire. After European colonization in the 18th century, the fruit spread to South Africa, India, and Australia, where it gained regional names like Cape gooseberry and uchuva. Despite this global presence, the plants underwent little domestication due to their difficult growth habit.

Beyond Plant Size: Other Traits to Improve

The research team identified several additional traits that could be improved through gene editing. The fruits currently have sticky surfaces from acylsugar compounds, waxy substances that consumers find unappealing. Plants also experience fruit cracking and lack synchronized ripening, both complicating harvest and reducing shelf life. Future editing could target genes controlling fruit size to restore larger berries while maintaining compact plant architecture.

The compact goldenberry offers one approach to improving minor crops that provide nutritional diversity but receive little breeding attention. While a handful of species dominate global agricultural production, hundreds of regional crops support local food security. Gene editing provides a tool to rapidly improve such crops without the decades-long timelines required for conventional breeding programs.

The same research team previously used similar techniques to create more manageable varieties of groundcherry and modified tomato plant architecture. The approach has proven effective across multiple members of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants.

Colombia will likely remain the dominant goldenberry producer, but the compact varieties could allow cultivation in regions where wild plants proved too difficult to manage. Growers in Peru, Ecuador, South Africa, and India currently cultivate smaller amounts of the fruit. US production could establish a domestic supply chain if regulatory approval is granted and commercial interest develops.

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