About

Gina Fernandez is the John D. and Nell R. Leazar Distinguished Professor in Horticultural Science at NC State University, where she also serves as the Director of Graduate Programs. Her research focuses on breeding and genetics of small fruit crops, including strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. She leads breeding programs aimed at developing cultivars adapted to regional climate and cultural conditions, with particular attention to traits such as yield, fruit quality, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability. Dr. Fernandez has made significant contributions to the development of new strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry cultivars, including 'Rocco', 'Liz', 'Nantahala', and 'Von'. Her work encompasses statewide extension responsibilities in blackberries and raspberries, supporting sustainable production practices. Her research also involves innovative propagation strategies, soil-borne pest management, and the development of cost-effective, disease-resistant cultivars tailored to regional needs. She has been involved in multiple projects funded by federal and state agencies, emphasizing sustainable and resilient small fruit production systems.

Research topics

• Biology
• Genetics
• Horticulture
• Computational biology
• Botany
• Biotechnology

Selected publications

• Multi-Omics analyses reveal dynamic interactions between DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during black raspberry ripening

  Research Square · 2025-11-24

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Anthocyanin Content and Profiles of Strawberry Fruit from North Carolina Genotypes

  Journal of American Pomological Society · 2025-03-02

  articleOpen access

  Anthocyanins impart the pink to orange-red to deep red color found in strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) fruit. In this study, the anthocyanin content and profile of advanced North Carolina selections were compared to those of white to moderately-red fruited commercial cultivars. Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (P3G), pelargonidin-3-O-rutinoside (P3R), pelargonidin-3-O-(6”-malonylglucoside) (P3MG), and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) were identified in strawberry fruit juice using high-performance liquid chromatography and the sum of these values represented total anthocyanin content (TAC). The dominant pigment, P3G, ranged from 0.2 to 69.2 mg/100g in white and red fruit, respectively, and values represented 60 to 89% of TAC. Across genotypes, the anthocyanins P3R and C3G represented 4 to 16% and 1 to 17%, respectively, of TAC. Generally regarded as a minor pigment, P3MG contributed 9–18% TAC in nine North Carolina genotypes and 9-10% TAC in cultivars ‘Sweet Charlie’ and ‘Ruby June’. Overall, North Carolina genotypes had anthocyanin content and profiles similar to the commercial cultivars ‘Camarosa’, ‘Chandler’, ‘Sweet Charlie’, ‘Felicity’, ‘Medallion’, and ‘Ruby June'. Visual strawberry fruit color appears to be related more to the total amount of anthocyanin than to specific anthocyanin profiles.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Strawberry Germplasm Influences Fruit Physicochemical Composition More than Harvest Date or Location

  Horticulturae · 2025-01-07 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are highly valued for their colorful fruit and flavorful taste. Anthocyanins provide much of the red fruit color, and the flavor is highly affected by soluble sugars and non-volatile organic acids. These fruit composition parameters impact consumer decisions. In this study, strawberry fruits from 17 commercial cultivars and advanced selections were collected weekly from replicated trials at three locations in North Carolina. The relative effects of the location and germplasm on fruit composition were determined, including the soluble solid concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (Tacid), and total anthocyanin content (TAC). The breeding criteria of at least 8.0% SSC and 0.80% Tacid were met by eight and six genotypes, respectively and five of these met both criteria. The fruit TAC ranged from 24.0 to 45.7 mg pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (P3G) equivalents/100 g FWT. P3G was the dominant pigment in all genotypes, followed by pelargonidin-3-O-rutinoside (P3R). As harvest dates advanced, pH, TAC, P3G, P3R, and pelargonidin-3-O-(6″-malonylglucoside) (P3MG) generally decreased, while Tacid, SSC, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) increased. Composition of field-grown strawberries in this mid-Atlantic location were more influenced by the genotype and harvest date than by the growing location.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Multi-Omics analyses reveal dynamic interactions between DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during black raspberry ripening

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-11-27

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract We profiled developmental-series transcriptome, methylome, and metabolome profiling to reveal extensive epigenetic reprogramming during black raspberry ( Rubus occidentalis ) fruit ripening. Fruit tissues exhibit globally higher DNA methylation than leaves, particularly in CHG and CHH contexts. Local methylation in all cytosine contexts progressively decreases in promoter regions during ripening, whereas CHG and CHH methylation increase in transposon-rich regions. Two primary methylation transitions—promoter hypomethylation and CHH hypermethylation—govern transcriptional shifts in genes involved in ripening processes. Methyl-binding transcription factors with activation potential likely promote CHH hypermethylation-linked transcriptional activation. Multi-omics integration revealed coordinated anthocyanin accumulation parallels expression of biosynthetic and regulatory genes within coherent networks. Elevated non-CG methylation in heterochromatin coincides with increased transcription of histone variants mediating chromatin compaction, suggesting chromatin remodelers fine-tune accessibility for methyltransferases. Our study highlights both genome-wide and locus-specific epigenetic reprogramming and demonstrates a coordinated interplay between DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during black raspberry fruit ripening.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identifying alternative management practices to promote blackberry lateral branch development

  Acta Horticulturae · 2024-02-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Anthocyanin profiles among <i>Rubus</i> species

  Acta Horticulturae · 2024-02-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Genetic Variation in Yield and Fruit Weight Among Strawberry (<i>Fragaria</i> ×<i>ananassa</i>) Cultivars and the Interaction With Year and Location Effect

  Plant Breeding · 2024-11-17 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  ABSTRACT Strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa ) is an important crop in the United States. In this study, we analysed strawberry trials established across 7 years and two locations. Our objective was to estimate genetic parameters and predict breeding values for yield. Linear mixed models were used for unbalanced data across years and locations and study the genotype by year and location interactions. The results suggested significant differences between cultivars for fruit weight but not for total and marketable yield. Fruit weight was controlled by genetic factors, shown by the high heritability of cultivar means (0.93), whereas marketable yield and total yield showed lower heritability estimates (0.48 and 0.63, respectively), indicating a substantial environmental influence. For fruit weight, cultivars exhibited stability across years and locations, supported by the high additive genetic correlations observed for cultivar‐by‐year ( r = 0.90) and cultivar‐by‐location interactions ( r = 0.98). Fruit weight and total yield were genetically independent as suggested near zero additive genetic correlation (−0.06 ± 0.416) between two traits, and they should be considered for an index selection in the strawberry breeding strategy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pine bark as an alternative to coco coir for substrate production of long-cane raspberry in southeastern USA

  Acta Horticulturae · 2024-02-01 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Status of crop fertility management and plant tissue nutrient concentration of blackberry in the southeastern United States

  Acta Horticulturae · 2024-02-01 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Anthocyanin profiles in fruit from seminal primocane and floricane-fruiting <i>Rubus</i> cultivars

  Acta Horticulturae · 2024-02-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Marvin P. Pritts

  Cornell University

  24 shared

• Penelope Perkins‐Veazie

  19 shared

• M.C. Villarruel

  Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

  15 shared

• Nahla Bassil

  National Clonal Germplasm Repository

  14 shared

• Chad E. Finn

  Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory

  14 shared

• Alfredo Olivares

  12 shared

• M Johnston

  12 shared

• E Aiden

  Broad Institute

  12 shared

Education

• PhD, Fruit and Vegetable Science

  Cornell University

  1994

• MS, Horticultural Science

  University of Minnesota System

  1985

• BA, Biology

  Ripon College

  1981

Awards & honors

• John D. and Nell R. Leazar Distinguished Professor