Notes of pear, citrus, melon, apricot, and chamomile. Light, aromatic, and low-acid. Produced from high-quality, mildew-resistant grapes that grow well in colder climates.

Matthew Clark knew his team at the University of Minnesota Arboretum Horticultural Research Center had found a winner when they created the Clarion grape, introduced to growers for the 2023 season as a new dry white wine grape.

“Plant breeding is about discovery,” says Clark, who assumes leadership of the U’s acclaimed fruit breeding program this fall. “The real joy comes from experiencing new flavors and textures for the first time that meet the vision you had when choosing the ‘parents.’” 

Cultivation and collaboration

The Department of Horticultural Science in the U’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences has long been famous for its apple breeding program, developing popular varieties like the Honeycrisp, Haralson, and SweeTango. But despite operating somewhat under the radar, other parts of the program have been pretty productive, too. Over the years, the program has introduced more than 98 fruit varieties including not only apples but also grapes, apricots, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.

Throughout his years leading the cold-hardy grape breeding program at the Horticultural Research Center, Clark has played a major role in advancing the science of grape cultivation, having conducted groundbreaking research focused on the genetics behind plant resistance to common pests and diseases. He also helped bring modern genomics to plant breeding experiments, introducing the use of marker tests that help identify plants with desirable traits.

Although he’s been at the helm of the program, Clark is careful to point out that its productivity has always been a team effort. 

“I once counted all of the people I was collaborating with at the U, and it was nearly 30,” he says, explaining that much of the daily work at the Horticultural Research Center is done by colleagues who manage the grape-breeding process, taste the fruit, and introduce successful varieties to the marketplace.  

Growing hardy fruits—and the state’s economy

Minnesota, with its famously frigid winters, has not always been a hospitable place to grow fruit. This started to change, however, when a group of determined fruit growers helped establish the University of Minnesota fruit breeding program in 1878.

“The program continues to be a major source of varieties for our thriving direct market industry in apples and other fruits,” says professor Jim Luby, longtime director of fruit crops breeding and genetics research at the U, “as well as the burgeoning Minnesota local wine scene.”

Indeed, 29 apple varieties have been released since the inception of the breeding program. University of Minnesota-bred apples are dominant in the local market, accounting for more than 75% of Minnesota orchard production. And Minnesotans are all in on supporting local growers—80% say it’s important to them to purchase Minnesota-grown fruit, according to a recent survey. Meanwhile, Honeycrisp has been a game changer at the national level, with a wholesale value of more than $1 billion annually.

The U has also played a significant role in supporting grape-growing in cold climates across the globe and building a strong Minnesota wine industry. This has had a positive impact on the state, and particularly rural communities, Clark says. Wineries play an important role in promoting tourism, allowing visitors to engage with agriculture in a direct way through wine tastings, vineyard tours, and workshops with winemakers.

Today, the grape-breeding program—now under the direction of Soon Li Teh—is cultivating 12,000 experimental vines on 12 acres. Thousands of seedlings are produced each year using a diverse genetic base. The program has successfully produced 13 grape varieties so far, with more than 100 U of M selections currently in advanced tests. Clark says the team intends to release several seedless table grape selections in the next year.  

While the bulk of his time is spent focused on research, Clark has a strong interest in developing community and industry partnerships as well. His coordinated outreach to the Minnesota winemaking community, for instance, launched “winery roundtables” that bring winemakers together to sample their products and share knowledge. 

“In my opinion, it requires collaboration among wineries if the industry [in Minnesota] is going to be successful,” says Clark. “At the last event, someone had a technical problem in their winery, and three people in the room had solutions. Had they not been there, they wouldn’t have called each other. Now, because they’ve built this rapport, they probably would.” 

Telling stories

One of the challenges Clark faces in his new role is contending with diminishing financial support from the government at both the federal and state levels. He explains that federal grant amounts haven’t changed in 10 years, despite inflation and the rising costs of student stipends and research expenses. This is why philanthropic support is so important to the Horticultural Research Center’s ongoing work. 

“[Philanthropy] has been integral to supporting our research, infrastructure, outreach, and extension,” Clark says. “For example, the farm at the Arboretum was funded through philanthropy, with a vision of demonstrating Minnesota agriculture to everyone.” 

As Clark assumes leadership of the fruit-crop breeding program, he is thinking about new ways to educate more people about the complexities of our food systems and the real-world implications of the work being done at the U.

The U’s fruit breeding research, for instance, aims to produce fruits that taste and look great, are resistant to disease, and are easy to store, balancing the desires of consumers with economic sustainability for growers.

“All of the fruits and vegetables we eat have been improved by plant breeders for sustainability, quality, storage, shelf life, protein content, flavor, and more,” he says. “These foods didn’t just fall from the sky. We have to continue to tell the story of where our food comes from and the role plant breeding plays.”  

Cultivate innovation and the drive to discover by making a gift to the Fruit Breeding and Genetics fund.