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DURHAM, N.C. — Pairwise today introduced Fontana™, a new blackberry developed for commercial fresh-market production. With a compact plant architecture, earlier and more condensed fruiting window, and high-quality fruit, the Fontana blackberry is designed to help growers increase productivity while simplifying production and harvest.
"We started with a great berry and improved the plant around it," said Ryan Bartlett, Chief Technology Officer at Pairwise. "Fontana helps growers produce significantly more fruit per acre while simplifying some of the most labor-intensive parts of blackberry production, making it a true win-win-win — for growers, for retailers, and for consumers, who enjoy high-quality, delicious fruit that's more seasonally available.”
Fontana is built on a proven Plant Sciences Genetics (PSG) variety known for its exceptional flavor and fruit quality. Pairwise developed the Fontana blackberry with a compact architecture that reaches approximately 3.5 to 5 feet, about half the height of a conventional blackberry plant.
The smaller architecture allows Fontana blackberries to be planted at higher densities while requiring no pruning and minimal trellis labor. Combined with an earlier and more concentrated harvest window, these characteristics can increase production per acre and make plants easier to manage, harvest and grow in more locations with an early production window.
Fontana plants offer several potential advantages for commercial growers:
- Earlier, higher yield: Higher-density planting and an earlier, more condensed harvest window can increase yield per acre.
- A consistent, great berry: One blackberry grown across regions and seasons, so every clamshell delivers the same delicious eating experience.
- Easier management: Fontana’s compact architecture makes fruit easier to access at harvest.
By the numbers
First in a pipeline of improved blackberry varieties
Fontana is the first in a pipeline of blackberry varieties under development, which include thornless and seedless blackberries. Together, the pipeline is intended to improve the economics and sustainability of blackberry production while delivering high-quality fruit with characteristics consumers value.
About Pairwise
Pairwise is committed to building a healthier world through better crop varieties and plant innovation. Powered by its proprietary Fulcrum® Platform, Pairwise accelerates the development of climate-resilient, nutritious, and sustainable crops. As a trusted partner to global industry leaders and nonprofit institutions, Pairwise helps breeders move faster while transforming food and agriculture for farmers, consumers, and the planet. Founded in 2017 and based in Durham, NC, Pairwise is committed to delivering innovation that makes food easier to grow and better to eat. For more information, visit www.pairwise.com.
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Pairwise Unveils Fontana™, a Breakthrough Blackberry That Redefines Fresh-Market Yield
A high-yield primocane variety that produces significantly more fruit per acre
Fontana sets a new standard in berry innovation, with a pipeline of next-generation varieties close behind
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Read through for an excerpt from our recently published article in AgFunderNews:
Gene editing is rapidly expanding beyond row crops into specialty crops, animals, and microbes, says Pairwise, which has seen a “dramatic uptick” in licensing deals for its Fulcrum platform over the past 12-18 months and now has 25 licensees covering more than 30 species.
Unlike transgenic plants—which are classified as GMOs as foreign DNA from another species is introduced—gene editing involves tinkering with species’ native genes, which eases the regulatory pathway in a growing number of markets and can deliver speed and precision, two potential gamechangers in breeding, says COO Ian Miller, PhD.
“We’re really enthusiastic about the direction that the regulatory environment is going worldwide,” adds Miller, who says Pairwise is seeing growing interest in Europe now that the EU has enshrined a new, simpler regulatory framework for plants made using new genomic techniques.
“I think there’s an understanding that in many cases, what comes out from gene editing is equivalent to conventional breeding because we’re working within the plant’s own genes. The beauty of gene editing is that if it sits somewhere in the gene pool, you can bring it to bear for a problem.”
Featured in AgFunder: Pairwise sees ‘dramatic uptick’ in CRISPR licensing as gene editing moves beyond row crops
Ian Miller: "You don’t have to get multiple licenses. We’re offering one-stop shopping."
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ST. LOUIS, MO. and DURHAM, NC, June 23, 2026 — Pairwise, a global innovator in agriculture, today announced a licensing agreement with Agragene, a sustainable agricultural technology company developing biological crop pest protection, granting access to Pairwise's Fulcrum® CRISPR platform.
Agragene will integrate Fulcrum® tools into the development of its Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT), which produces sterile male insects for proactive control of pest populations, increasing yields for growers. Agragene's first product (KNOCKOUT™ SWD) targets spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive fly responsible for more than $1billion annually in losses to U.S. and Canadian berry, cherry, and other soft fruit crops. Because the technology is highly species-specific, it suppresses only the target pest, leaving crops, beneficial insects such as bees and ladybugs, and the surrounding environment unaffected.
“Growers are running out of options as pests develop resistance to conventional insecticides, and they are looking for tools that are safe, targeted, and sustainable,” said Bryan Witherbee, President and CEO of Agragene. “Our mission is to deliver cleaner pest control that supports healthier crops and a healthier planet. Access to Fulcrum® strengthens the editing technology behind our pgSIT platform and helps us move faster from field trials towards practical tools growers can use.”
“Pairwise works across all of agriculture, which means partnering with people closest to the problems,” said Dr. Tom Adams, CEO of Pairwise. “Agragene is the first to apply Fulcrum® in insect systems, and it's exactly the kind of creative use we hoped good tools would find."
The Pairwise Fulcrum® platform includes proprietary CRISPR editing tools, enzymes, and trait libraries that enable precise genetic changes. Pairwise developed and proved the platform in its own breeding programs and makes it available to partners and licensees worldwide for research and commercial purposes.
About Agragene
Agragene is a sustainable agricultural technology company based in St. Louis, Missouri, developing biological crop pest protection products. Using Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT), a CRISPR-based platform, Agragene provides sterile male insects to reduce and control pest populations while reducing reliance on traditional insecticides. Founded in 2017, the company is pursuing commercial product launch in the U.S. and a licensing strategy worldwide. For more information, visit www.agragene.com
About Pairwise
Pairwise is agriculture's gene editing powerhouse, building a healthier world through partnership and plant innovation. Co-founded by early pioneers of CRISPR, Pairwise's Fulcrum® Platform accelerates the development of climate-resilient, nutritious, and sustainable crops. As a trusted partner to global industry leaders and nonprofit institutions, Pairwise helps breeders move faster while transforming food and agriculture for farmers, consumers, and the planet. Founded in 2017 and based in Durham, NC, Pairwise is committed to delivering innovation that makes food easier to grow and better to eat. For more information, visit www.pairwise.com.
Agragene Licenses Pairwise's Fulcrum® Platform to Support Cleaner Pest Control
Agreement marks the first application of Fulcrum® technology in insects, supporting proactive & effective pest control
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