New Technology Delivers More Seedless Fruit

New Technology Delivers More Seedless Fruit Pairwise, a genetics-based innovation pioneer based in Durham, N.C., has developed the world’s first seedless blackberry. “Blackberries are one of the most nutritious fruits, but data tells us that many berry buyers dislike the seeds,” says Ryan Bartlett, Chief Technology Officer of Pairwise. “Look at what happened with seedless grapes, watermelons and mandarins. The seedless variety became the preferred one. We believe the same opportunity exists for blackberries.” This fruit was developed using the company’s Fulcrum Platform, a comprehensive set of innovative tools for CRISPR application in plants. “CRISPR is a Nobel Prize-winning technology that enables us to make plants easier to grow and eat using their natural potential, only faster,” says Bartlett. “With this technology, we can improve traits including yield, plant architecture, juvenility, and even remove thorns for easier harvesting.” Blackberries are notable in the fruit world for their complex genome. “This makes for a great opportunity with CRISPR. Traditional breeding could take decades or longer, but CRISPR shortens the timeline to years.”  This innovation marks the first time seedlessness has been achieved in any caneberry. Scientists have applied their extensive knowledge of plant genetics, a wide range of CRISPR tools, and multiplex editing techniques to eliminate the hard pits in berry fruit. Instead, you’ll find the soft, small seeds similar to those in “seedless” grapes and watermelon. “Our seedless variety holds up well during shipment, so we think this will be a great eating experience for consumers,” says Bartlett. Similarly, Pairwise has successfully removed thorns and created a more compact plant. This allows for denser plantings per acre, resulting in easier harvesting and improved productivity and profitability for farmers. Field tests for these edited blackberries began in 2024, with an expected 1 to 2-year period for the field trial to finish and for commercial sales to begin. In fall 2025, a Pairwise partner in Colombia started limited retail sales of the berries. “We expect volumes to continue to increase,” Bartlett says. “Sales are expected to begin in the U.S. soon.” There’s more to come from Pairwise. These berries are just one of 15 crop types the company has edited. “We’re thrilled about an upcoming opportunity to collaborate with Sun World and work on a pitless cherry,” says Bartlett. “Consumers worldwide love fresh cherries, and they’ll love them even more without a hard pit.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pairwise, 807 E. Main St., Suite 4-100, Durham, N.C. 27701 (www.pairwise.com).

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