In recognition of some 50 years of research that has revolutionized strawberry growing and invigorated the economy in southwestern Spain, the Department of Pomology at the University of California, Davis, has received the Golden Strawberry award from the Spanish province of Huelva. The Fresón de Oro award was presented in September in the town of Lepe, Spain, to Candy Voelker of UC's Office of Technology Transfer and now resides in the pomology department at UC Davis as a reminder that campus research has global impacts. The award was sponsored by the Bank of El Monte, honoring a business or organization that has contributed generously to Huelva's agricultural industry. The presenters noted that the research by UC scientists was responsible for the introduction and vigorous growth of the strawberry industry in the province. "The department was surprised and delighted upon hearing of the award," said Ted DeJong, chair of the UC Davis pomology department. "It's always a pleasure to see that our research positively influences not only California agriculture but also other parts of the world." During nearly five decades of research, UC Davis scientists have used selective breeding techniques to develop new varieties that are larger, more colorful and flavorful, and productive over a long growing season. The California strawberry industry, which raises 80 percent of the strawberries consumed in North America, can now produce strawberries year-round rather than just during a few weeks as is true in other parts of the country. The University of California currently holds patents on 30 strawberry varieties, which are licensed for commercial use. One of the most important varieties for the Spanish strawberry industry has been the Camarosa strawberry, developed by Victor Voth, a UC Davis pomologist and Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus; Douglas Shaw, a UC Davis pomology professor; and Royce Bringhurst, a UC Davis professor emeritus of pomology. For more than 35 years, Bringhurst and Voth combined their expertise, resulting in a phenomenal increase in California's strawberry yield. In the 1950s, California was producing about 6 tons per acre. By the late 1980s the state's yield had grown to 25 tons per acre. UC Davis' strawberry breeding program is now in the hands of Professor Douglas Shaw and Kirk Larson, a UC Davis pomologist and Cooperative Extension specialist who is headquartered at UC's South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine, Calif. Larson has been active in providing new information on strawberry production and varieties to the University of California's Spanish clientele, and during the past four years has made several visits to speak to representatives of the Spanish strawberry industry. The researchers are carrying on the UC Davis tradition of continually improving commercial strawberries in terms of fruit quality, production efficiency and resistance to pests and disease.