[Korea Farmers' News Agency, Reporter Song Hae-chang] The Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services has embarked on the development of a high-firmness strawberry variety. This research involves over 100 resources, including major domestic varieties and overseas genetic resources. The main research content is the development of a 'molecular marker for selecting high-firmness lines' to solve storage issues and damage during distribution. The research team plans to develop a molecular marker that can be used in breeding fields by going through stages such as selecting firmness-related genetic resources, discovering candidate genes related to firmness, and verifying and applying markers in the field by 2028. Once the technology is completed, it will be possible to select high-firmness individuals early in the seedling stage after crossing, thereby improving strawberry breeding efficiency.