THE UNITED STATES IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCER OF BLUEBERRIES, WITH ANNUAL HARVESTS VALUED AT NEARLY $1 BILLION USD. THE TOP TEN PRODUCING STATES, REPRESENTING MORE THAN 98% OF THE U.S. BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY, INCLUDE CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, OREGON AND WASHINGTON. WHILE THE U.S. BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY HAS EXPERIENCED INCREASED RATES OF GLOBAL CONSUMPTION AND PROFITS OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, IT IS ALSO FACING AN EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF PRODUCTION CHALLENGES INCLUDING FRUIT CROP DISEASES. ANTHRACNOSE FRUIT ROT IS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE AND WIDESPREAD FRUIT DISEASE OF BLUEBERRIES, IMPACTING BOTH YIELD AND OVERALL FRUIT QUALITY. SUPERIOR CULTIVARS THAT ARE RESISTANT TO ANTHRACNOSE FRUIT ROT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED TO MAINTAIN U.S. INDUSTRY PROFITABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A COST EFFECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS SOLUTION FOR ANTHRACNOSE FRUIT ROT. PROJECT DELIVERABLES INCLUDE NEW TOOLS (I.E. MOLECULAR MARKERS) THAT WILL ENABLE BLUEBERRY BREEDING PROGRAMS ACROSS THE U.S. TO MORE EASILY DEVELOP SUPERIOR CULTIVARS THAT ARE RESISTANT TO ANTHRACNOSE FRUIT ROT.