California's Strawberry Feud Ends, But Who Will Breed New Berries? : The Salt : NPR:
"The future of strawberry breeding at the University of California has been secured. Perhaps. As we reported last summer, more than half of the strawberries that you pick up in supermarkets got their start in greenhouses and test plots at the University of California, Davis.
It's one of the biggest breeding programs in academia, and possibly the most lucrative, generating millions of dollars each year in royalties for the university. For the past year, though, a feud worthy of a soap opera has been stewing there.
The scientist who ran the breeding program jumped ship, accusing the university of not valuing his work or paying him enough. He's now starting a private company that will compete with the university. The university allegedly considered shutting down its strawberry breeding, which in turn convinced an industry group, the California Strawberry Commission, to sue the university and accuse it of betraying a public trust. The university responded by suing the commission.
This week, it appears, all is forgiven. Both sides announced that the lawsuits are history. As part of this reconciliation, the university has hired a scientist who will "design a new strawberry breeding program for the 21st century," according to the university's statement.
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