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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN 23% OF THE TOTAL $1B OF BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION AND HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF PRODUCING THE EARLIEST BLUEBERRIES IN THE U.S. HOWEVER, MOST BLUEBERRIES IN THE SOUTHEAST ARE PRODUCED IN GEORGIA, FLORIDA, AND NORTH CAROLINA, WHEREAS SMALL- TO MID-SIZED GROWERS IN OTHER STATES ONLY MAINTAIN MARGINAL PRODUCTION DUE TO A LACK OF LOCALLY ADAPTED CULTIVARS. TO SUSTAIN BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION IN UNDERSERVED REGIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S., THE NEW SMALL FRUIT BREEDING PROGRAM AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY IS COLLABORATING WITH FOUR ESTABLISHED BREEDING PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTHEAST TO:(I) DEVELOP CLIMATE-RESILIENT SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES FOR SMALL- AND MID-SIZED GROWERS IN ALABAMA AND NEARBY REGIONS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE CULTIVAR EVALUATION,(II) IDENTIFY GENOTYPE-BY-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS FOR KEY TRAITS TO BETTER ALLOCATE FUTURE CULTIVARS TO APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENTS, AND(III) ENABLE HIGH-THROUGHPUT YIELD PHENOTYPING FOR MORE EFFICIENT CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT.A TOTAL OF 30 ADVANCED SELECTIONS AND 8 CHECKS FROM FOUR ESTABLISHED BREEDING PROGRAMS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR 3 YEARS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA, AND TESTING SITES IN FLORIDA, MISSISSIPPI, AND NORTH CAROLINA, RESPECTIVELY.TOWARDS THE END OF THIS PROJECT, WE EXPECT TO RELEASE NEW CULTIVARS FOR THE GENERAL AND SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION, TO BENEFIT ALL GROWERS AND ESPECIALLY SMALL- AND MID-SCALE STAKEHOLDERS; TRAIN A FIELD-BASED FRUIT BREEDER; AND DEVELOP A SMARTPHONE APP TO ENABLE HIGH-THROUGHPUT YIELD PHENOTYPING. CULTIVARS DEVELOPED FROM THIS COLLABORATION WILL SET THE FOUNDATION FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND PROFITABLE BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTHEAST FOR YEARS TO COME.

$497,827FY2023National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Auburn University, Auburn AL

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN 23% OF THE TOTAL $1B OF BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION AND HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF PRODUCING THE EARLIEST BLUEBERRIES IN THE U.S. HOWEVER, MOST BLUEBERRIES IN THE SOUTHEAST ARE PRODUCED IN GEORGIA, FLORIDA, AND NORTH CAROLINA, WHEREAS SMALL- TO MID-SIZED GROWERS IN OTHER STATES ONLY MAINTAIN MARGINAL PRODUCTION DUE TO A LACK OF LOCALLY ADAPTED CULTIVARS. TO SUSTAIN BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION IN UNDERSERVED REGIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S., THE NEW SMALL FRUIT BREEDING PROGRAM AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY IS COLLABORATING WITH FOUR ESTABLISHED BREEDING PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTHEAST TO:(I) DEVELOP CLIMATE-RESILIENT SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES FOR SMALL- AND MID-SIZED GROWERS IN ALABAMA AND NEARBY REGIONS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE CULTIVAR EVALUATION,(II) IDENTIFY GENOTYPE-BY-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS FOR KEY TRAITS TO BETTER ALLOCATE FUTURE CULTIVARS TO APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENTS, AND(III) ENABLE HIGH-THROUGHPUT YIELD PHENOTYPING FOR MORE EFFICIENT CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT.A TOTAL OF 30 ADVANCED SELECTIONS AND 8 CHECKS FROM FOUR ESTABLISHED BREEDING PROGRAMS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR 3 YEARS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA, AND TESTING SITES IN FLORIDA, MISSISSIPPI, AND NORTH CAROLINA, RESPECTIVELY.TOWARDS THE END OF THIS PROJECT, WE EXPECT TO RELEASE NEW CULTIVARS FOR THE GENERAL AND SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION, TO BENEFIT ALL GROWERS AND ESPECIALLY SMALL- AND MID-SCALE STAKEHOLDERS; TRAIN A FIELD-BASED FRUIT BREEDER; AND DEVELOP A SMARTPHONE APP TO ENABLE HIGH-THROUGHPUT YIELD PHENOTYPING. CULTIVARS DEVELOPED FROM THIS COLLABORATION WILL SET THE FOUNDATION FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND PROFITABLE BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTHEAST FOR YEARS TO COME. · GrantIndex