NCCC_OLD22: Small Fruit and Viticulture Research
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NCCC_OLD22: Small Fruit and Viticulture Research
Duration: 10/01/2001 to 09/30/2006
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Small fruits, including strawberries, blueberries, table grapes, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and currants, are high value horticultural crops used in both fresh and processed fruit markets. The commodity value of these crops in U.S. production in 1997-1999 averaged $2.6 billion (USDA National Ag Statistics, 2000). Wine grapes provide an additional $1.9 billion. In addition, grower profitability can still be realized with small plantings and relatively small investment inputs, thus making small fruits a suitable venture for many small farms.
Unlike agronomic crops, most small fruits are produced on relatively small acreage and at least one species can be grown in all regions of the U.S. However, although small fruit production is widespread, production is often limited in local areas due to site specific disease, insect, and climatic difference among regions of the U.S. Therefore, specialized management strategies and cultivar selection are often required for successful small fruit production.
Over the last 5 years, medical research has indicated that small fruits may have health benefits, in addition to those previously documented for vitamin C, calcium, and dietary fiber. Anthocyanins, the water soluble pigments found in small fruits, and other phenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid from strawberries and resveretrol from grapes, have been found to act as effective antioxidants in the human body. Such compounds are purported to have multiple health benefits, including reduction of low density lipoprotein, reduced incidence of some cancers, and act as effective antibiotic agents for urinary tract infections. As a result, interest in the consumption and production of small fruits has increased markedly.
The interaction of researchers in NCR-22 enables exchange of up-to-date information on the latest research trends as well as problems encountered in regions and states. These interactions have resulted in improved small fruit germplasm, improved production practices including sustainable agriculture systems, identification of commodity-specific pest and new pest control strategies, and development of innovations in extension education programs. Renewal of this project is thus well warranted.
Objectives
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Develop improved small fruit germplasm through cooperative breeding and evaluation programs. Efforts will be fostered by the exchange of germplasm and cooperative studies to evaluate productivity, adaptability, and functional food characteristics of strawberry, blueberry, table grape, blackberry and other species. The annual meeting format of NCR-22 provides rapid exchange of results, discussion of preliminary findings and coordinated research planning.
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Develop improved practices for small fruit production. These include off-season production of raspberries, greenhouse strawberry production, strawberry plasticulture, integrated pest management and other systems using reduced pesticide applications. Innovations in pruning and trellising of grapes, blackberries and blueberries will also be evaluated through cooperative multi-state research projects.
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Exchange of research results from individual state research projects and cooperative programs on the genera Fragaria, Vitis, Vaccinium, Rubus, and Ribes.
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Conduct educational programs to improve the awareness of NCR-22 participants of topical information and trends related to the consumption, health benefits and the development of technology relevant to small fruit research and breeding.
Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Exchange of information and ideas, often before formal publication, is an important committee activity. The interaction of group members leads to collaborative projects and to new sources of specialized information. Committee members are often participants in the Small Fruits and Viticulture working group of the American Society for Horticultural Science and of the Southern Small Fruit Workers group, both of which meet annually.
- Ideas generated from one state project can be tested regionally and nationally. Such evaluations also enable innovations to be modified for site-specific use or to fit existing technology.
- Germplasm evaluation is a critical part of the NCR-22 project. Standardized evaluation protocols and multiple site evaluation (environment x genotype studies) will provide important information on adaptability and cultivar performance.
- Members of NCR-22 cover a range of specialized disciplines, including breeding, molecular biology, whole plant physiology, postharvest physiology, pathology, entomology, ecology, production. Members are from industry, land grant colleges, and USDA, and are from the United States, The Netherlands, and Canada. This broad spectrum of participants encourages dialogue on key issues and cross-exchange of scientific viewpoints.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Organization/Governance
Standard governance involving the annual election of a chair-elect.
Literature Cited
Arora, R., L.J. Rowland, J.s. Lehman, C.C. Kim, G.R. Panta, and N. Vorsa. 2000. Genetic analysis of the freezing tolerance of blueberry (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus). Theor. Appl. Genet. 100: 690-696.
Brown, G. K., N. L. Schulte, E. J. Timm, R. M. Beaudry, D. L. Peterson, J. F. Hancock and F. Takeda. 1996. Estimates of mechanization effects on fresh blueberry quality. App. Eng Agr. 12:21-26.
Connor, A.M., J.J. Luby, C.B. Tong, C.E. Finn, and J.F. Hancock. 2002. Genotypic and environmental variation in antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and anthocyanin content among blueberry cultivars. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 126:89-97.
Davenport, J., J. Hart, K. Patten, C. DeMoranville, and T. Roper. 2000. Nitrogen for bearing cranberries in North America. Oregon St. Univ. EM 8741.
Ehlenfeldt, M.K., A.D. Draper and J.R. dark. 1995. Performance of southern highbush blueberry cultivars released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and cooperating state agricultural experiment stations. HortTechnology 5:127-130.
Finn, C.E. and J.R. dark, J.R. 2000. Register of new fruit and nut varieties- List 40, Blackberry and hybrid berries. HortScience 35:(August).
Finn, C.E., P.P. Moore, and D. Peacock. 2000. Y2K blueberry cultivars. Western Washington Horticulture Association. Seatac, Wash.
Finn, C.E., P.P. Moore and D. Peacock. 2000. Y2K blueberry cultivars for Oregon. Oregon Horticulture Society. Portland, Ore.
Finn, C., J. Hancock and C. Heider. 1998. Notes on the strawberry industry of Ecuador and the community of farmers. HortScience 33:5 83-5 89.
Galletta, G.J., J.L. Maas, J.R. dark, and C.E. Finn. 1998. 'Triple Crown' thomless blackberry. Fruit Var.J. 52:124-127.
Hancock, J.F., C.A. Finn, S.C. Hokanson, J.J. Luby, B.L. Goulart, K. Demchak, P.W. Callow, S. Serce, A.M.C. Schilder and K.E. Hummer. 2001. A multistate comparison of native octoploid strawberries from North and South America. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 126:570-586.
Hancock, J.F., J.J. Luby and A. Dale. 1997. New sources of day-neutrality in strawberries. Proc. North Amer. Strawberry Growers Assoc. Meeting. Lexington, KY.
Hancock, J.A., J.J. Luby, A. Dale, P.A. Callow, S, Serce, and A. El-Shiekh. 2001. Utilizing wild Fragaria virginiana in strawberry cultivar development: inheritance of photo period sensitivity, fruit size, gender, female fertility, and disease resistance. Euphytica (in press).
Hancock, J.F., B.L. Goulart, J.J. Luby and M.P. Pritts. 1998. The strawberry matted row: Practical cropping system or dated anachronism? Adv. Strawberry Research 16: 1-4.
Hancock, J.F., S.C. Hokanson, C.E. Finn, K.E. Hummer. 2000. Introducing a supercore collection of wild octoploid strawberries. Fourth International Strawberry Symposium, Helsinki Finland (abstract).
Hancock, J. F., J. Scheerens, B. Goulart and A. Erb. 1997. Blueberry hybrids with complex genetic backgrounds evaluated on mineral soils: Cold hardiness as influenced by parental species and location. Acta Hort. 446:389-396.
Hancock, J.F., P. Callow, R. Keesler, D. Prince and B. Bordelon. 2000. A crop estimation technique for blueberries. J. Amer. Pom. Soc. 54:123-129.
Harrison, R. E., J. J. Luby, G. R. Fumier and J. F. Hancock. 1997. Morphological and molecular variation among populations of octoploid Fragaria virginiana and F. chiloensis (Rosaceae) from North America. Amer. J. Bot. 84:612-620.
Harrison, R. E., J. J. Luby, G. R. Fumier and J. F. Hancock. 2000. Differences in the apportionment of molecular and morphological variation in North American strawberry and the consequences for genetic resource management. Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 47-647-657.
Harrison R.E, J.J. Luby, G.R. Fumier, J.F. Hancock and D. Cooley. 1998. Variation for susceptibility to crown rot and powdery mildew in wild strawberry from North America. Acta Hort. 484:43-48
Hancock, J.F., P.W. Callow, A. Dale, J.J. Luby, C.E. Finn and S.C. Hokanson. 2001. From the Andes to the Rockies: Native strawberry collection and utilization. HortScience 36:221-225.
Hanson, E.J., C. DeMoranville, B. Little, D. McArthur, J. Panchaud, K. Patten, T. Roper, N. Vorsa, and D. Yarborough. 2000. Chemical characteristics of water used for cranberry production. HortTechnology 10:603-607.
Hokanson, S.C. and C.E. Finn. 2000. Strawberry cultivar use in North America. HortTechnology. 10:7-19.
Luby, J.J., D.K. Wildung, and G.J. Galletta. 2001. MNUS 210 (Winona) strawberry. HortScience 36:392-394.
Luby, J.J., and D.V. Shaw. 2002. Does marker-assisted slection make dollars and sense in a fruit breeding program? HortScience (in press).
Perkins-Veasie, P., J.R. dark, D.J. Huber, and E.A. Baldwin. 2000. Ripening physiology in "Navaho" thomless blackberries: color, respiration, ethylene production, softening, and compositional changes. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 125:357-363.
Perkins-Veasie, P., J.K. Collins, and J.R. dark. 2000. Shelflife and quality of'Navaho' and 'Shawnee' blackberry fruit stored under retail storage conditions. J. Food Qual. 22:535-544.
Pritts, M.P., G.R. Nonnecke, and D.G. Acker. 1999. Global academic exchange: does it help or hurt.? Advances in Strawberry Res. 18:1-3.
Perkins-Veazie, P., J.R. dark, J.K. Collins, and J. Magee. 1995. Southern highbush blueberry clones differ in postharvest fruit quality. Fruit Var. J. 49:46-52.
Perkins-Veazie, P., J.K. Collins, and J.R. dark. 1996. Cultivar and maturity affect postharvest quality of fruit from erect blackberries. HortScience 31:258-261.
Perkins-Veazie, P., J.K. Collins, J.R. dark, and L. Risse. 1997. Airshipment of'Navaho' blackberry fruit to Europe is feasible. HortScience 32:132.
Perkins-Veazie, P., J.K. Collins, and J. R. dark. 1999. Cultivar and storage temperature effects on the shelflife of blackberry fruit. Fruit Var. J. 53:201-208.
Perkins-Veazie, P., J.R. dark, D.J. Huber, and E.A Baldwin. 2000. Ripening physiology of "Navaho" thornless blackberry fruit: color, respiration, ethylene production, softening, and compositional changes. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 125:357-363.
Perkins-Veazie, C. Finn, and E. Baldwin. 1999. Volatile Profile of Marion Blackberry. HortScience
Potter, D., J. Luby, and R. Harrison. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships among species of Fragaria L. (Rosaceae) inferred from non-coding nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences. Syst. Bot. 25:337-348.
Sakin, M., J. F. Hancock and J. J. Luby. 1997. Identifying new sources of genes which determine cyclic flowering in Rocky Mountain populations ofFragaria virginiana. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 122:205-210.
Scheerens, J.C., Erb, W.A., Goulart, B.L. and J.F. Hancock. 1999. Blueberry hybrids with complex genetic backgrounds evaluated on mineral soils. Stature, growth rate, yield potential, and adaptability to mineral soils as influenced by parental species. Frt. Var. J. 53:73-90.
Scheerens, J.C., Erb, W.A., Goulart, B.L. and J.F. Hancock. 1999. Blueberry hybrids with complex genetic backgrounds evaluated on mineral soils: Flowering, fruit development, yield and yield components as influenced by parental species. Frt. Var. J. 53:91-104.
Stevens, C.M., B.L. Goulart, K. Demchak, J.F. Hancock, Y. Daipe and W.Q. Yang. 1997. The presence, isolation and characterization ofericoid mycorrhizal symbionts in two native and two commercial Vaccinium populations in central Michigan. Acta Hort. 446:411-420.
Midwest Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide is published annually through efforts of individuals in 10 states.
Inter-Institution/Agency Grants:
Finn, C.E. and J. F. Hancock. Identification of late season ripening and small fruited blueberry genotypes, and determination of genotype x environment interaction of blueberry populations planted in Oregon and Michigan. Northwest Center for Small Fruit Research. $8,214/yr. 1998-2000.
Hancock, J.F., A. Schilder, M. Pritts, B. Black and P. Milner. Cultural and biological alternatives to methylbromide fumigation. USDA-IREECG. $105,000/yr. 2000-2002