Dr. Beth Crandall, the director of research for the Kanaka Peak Research, began strawberry breeding in 1988, utilizing traditional breeding techniques.  The emphasis of Dr. Crandall’s program is to produce cultivars with high yield and excellent fruit quality for fresh market production in California.  Short day, early cultivars are being developed for the Southern California district and day neutral cultivars with even production patterns are begin developed for the Northern California growing area.  Seedling fields, advance selection trials and grower trials are conducted utilizing standard production practices within fruit production fields.  Cultivars are screened for disease and pest resistance in fruit and nursery fields and under disease and insect pressures.