Imagine a small fruit that tastes like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple, wrapped in its own natural paper lantern. That’s the ground cherry (Physalis grisea) – a little-known relative of tomatoes that has been quietly growing in gardens and small farms in North America for centuries. Now this humble fruit is getting a 21st century upgrade thanks to groundbreaking genetic research.
For more than six years, a team of scientists led by Dr. Joyce Van Eck of the Boyce Thompson Institute the ‘Physalis Improvement Project’. The goal is to transform earthcherries from a garden novelty to a mainstream crop that could one day be a common sight alongside blueberries and blackberries at the local supermarket.
“Ground cherries have many advantages. They are nutritious, have a unique, delicious taste and can grow in different climates. The problem is that they have some annoying properties that make them difficult to grow on a large scale.” noted Savanah Marie Dale, graduate student and co-first author of the team’s recent paper, published in Plants, people, planet.
Groundcherry plants have a sprawling growth habit that makes them difficult to manage. They also drop their fruit to the ground when ripe (hence the name), a trait that makes harvesting difficult and increases the risk of contamination by soil pathogens. Rather than selectively breeding cherries for decades to solve these problems, the team uses a gene-editing technique called CRISPR/Cas9 to make precise changes to the plant’s DNA.
By modifying specific genes, the researchers have already made impressive progress. They have created cherry plants with a more compact growth habit, making them easier to grow. They have also increased fruit size and are working on ways to keep the fruit attached to the plant longer, making harvesting easier and safer because the fruit does not have to be picked from the ground.
“In addition to its agricultural applications, earthcress serves as a valuable model species for studying the Solanaceae family, which includes economically important crops such as tomatoes and potatoes,” said Elise Tomaszewski, graduate student and co-first author of the recent paper on the project.
Research into ground cherry’s unique characteristics, such as its paper lantern-like covering (inflated calyx) and fruit ablation mechanisms (the process by which a fruit detaches from the parent plant), provides insights that can be applied to related crops to improve. Groundcherry’s dual role as a crop and model organism highlights its scientific and practical significance.
The project is also investigating how earth cherries naturally resist certain insect pests. This knowledge can be applied to other crops to reduce the need for pesticides.
“Improving earthcress not only benefits those who grow and consume this nutritious fruit, but also increases our understanding of plant biology, which is crucial for future agricultural developments,” Van Eck explains.
As we face the combined challenges of climate change and food security on a global scale, the Physalis Improvement Project offers a glimpse into a future where science can help create more resilient, productive and sustainable food systems.
