NCCC22: Small Fruit and Viticulture Research
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NCCC22: Small Fruit and Viticulture Research
Duration: 10/01/2006 to 09/30/2011
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. At least one commercial berry species is grown in every state. Despite high profitability and considerable grower interest, acreage in most states is limited. Few states have more than one berry crop researcher, and many have none. Due to the wide dispersal of berry crop researchers, it is critical that a venue be provided to allow small fruit horticulturists to coordinate and collaborate.
Collaboration across states is needed to:
1) evaluate and exchange germplasm in a systematic way
2) develop protocols for testing and evaluating new selections
3) determine how widely adapted are new selections and cultivars
4) determine if new selections and cultivars are resistant to pests across a representative host range
5) develop joint proposals for field trials
6) share research plans to avoid duplication and inefficient use of resources
The interaction of researchers in NCCC-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 (Lewers et al., 2004; Hancock et al. 2002; Finn et al., 2004), improved production practices including sustainable agriculture systems (Hancock and Luby, 1995; Perkins-Veazie and Nonnecke, 1992; Pritts et al., 1999), a clearer understanding of the nutritional value of berries (Meyers, et al., 2003; Moore et al., 2005; Weber et al., 2005), the identification of commodity-specific pest and new pest control strategies (Bristow and Moore, 2004), and development of innovations in extension education programs.
Objectives
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Develop improved small fruit germplasm through cooperative breeding and evaluation programs.
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Develop improved practices for small fruit production.
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Explore the association between fruit constituents and human health impacts
Procedures and Activities
1. 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 fruit characteristics of strawberry, blueberry, table grape, blackberry and other species.
Past examples: Germplasm exchange has occurred among the following programs that, in turn, evaluate genotypes for specific traits: C. Weber, NY, anthocyanin and pigment development in fruit (Weber et al., 2005; Moore et al. 2005) ; J. Luby, MN, cold-hardiness; J. Clark, AR, antioxidant content of berries (Cho et al., 2005); K. Lewers, MD, fruiting habit and disease resistance; B. Smith, WI, tarnished plant bug resistance. Each of these is an important trait, yet no individual researcher has the capacity to screen for all of them.
Evaluation of germplasm across geographic locations to evaluate and confirm adaptability has occurred with Lewers (MD) (Lewers et al., 2004), Finn (OR) (Finn et al., 2004; Kempler et al., 2005), Weber (NY), Luby (MN), Hancock (MI), Dale (ONT), Moore (WA), Demchak (PA), Byers (MO), and Clark (AR).
2. 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 and enhancement of soil health. Innovations in pruning and trellising of grapes, blackberries and blueberries will also be evaluated through cooperative multi-state research projects.
Past examples: Collaboration, information exchange, joint planning and parallel experiments have occurred among researchers using high tunnels and greenhouses for season extension (NY, IN, KS, PA) (Pritts et al., 1999); managing strawberry replant disease (MI, MD, NY); evaluating cover crop rotations (IA, MO, NY); and developing cultural practices for primocane-fruiting blackberries (AR, NY, IA) (Strik et al., 2005).
3. Explore the association between fruit constituents and human health impacts. Over the last 5 years, medical research has indicated that small fruits have health benefits beyond 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 resveratrol from grapes, have been found to act as effective antioxidants in the human body
Past examples: Perkins (OK) (Weber et al., 2005; Moore et al., 2005), Clark (AR) (Cho et al., 2005), Shreens (OH), Lewers (MD) Pritts (NY) (Meyers et al., 2003), Moore (WA) (Moore et al., 2005), Luby (MN) (Conner et al., 2002)and Weber (NY) (Weber et al., 2005) have participated in studies of antioxidant capacity, phenolic content, dietary fiber, etc. to determine bioactive potential of berry cultivars.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- "Coordination of Activities: Major concerns of berry growers, processors, marketers and scientists will be identified and discussed, and a multistate focus will be brought to bear on priority issues. This will lead to more efficient use of public funds when developing research, teaching and extension programs to address these concerns.
- " Collaborative Research Projects: Exchange of information and ideas, often before formal publication, is an important committee activity. The interaction of group members leads to collaborative projects, stronger grant proposals, more robust publications, and new sources of specialized information. 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.
- " Multi-state and Regional Germplasm Evaluation: Multi-state efforts in germplasm evaluation are a critical part of the NCCC-22 project. Standardized evaluation protocols and multiple site evaluation (environment X genotype studies) will provide important information on adaptability and cultivar performance (Pritts and Luby, 1990).
- " Information Exchange: Members of NCCC-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. Committee members often participate in the Small Fruit and Viticulture working group of the American Society for Horticultural Science, and the Southern Small Fruit Workers group, which helps further extend the influence of NCCC-22 activities.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Although this is a regional research project, many of the participants are actively involved in extension activities. Their research results and production recommendations are disseminated through their state cooperative extension service and in the case of our international collaborators, through their outreach organizations.
Organization/Governance
Standard governance involving the annual election of a chair-elect.
Literature Cited
Bristow, Peter and Patrick Moore. 2004. Reaction of Red Raspberry Genotypes to Phytophthora Root Rot. Northwest Center For Small Fruit Research Proceedings 12:21
Cho, M.J., L.R. Howard, R.L. Prior, and J.R. Clark. 2005. Flavonol glycosides and antioxidant capacity of various blackberry and blueberry genotypes determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. J. Sci. Food Agri. 85(13):2149-2158.
Connor, A.M., J.J. Luby, J.F. Hancock, S. Berkheimer and E.J. Hanson. 2002. Changes in fruit antioxidant activity among blueberry cultivars during cold-temperature storage. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50(4):893-898.
Finn, C.E., B. Yorgey, B.C. Strik and P.P. Moore. 2004. Tillamook and Pinnacle strawberries. HortScience 39:1487-1489.
Hancock, J.F., J.J. Luby, A. Dale, P.W. Callow, S. Serce, and A. El-Shiek. 2002. Utilizing wild Fragaria virginiana in strawberry cultivar development: inheritance of photoperiod sensitivity, fruit size, gender, female fertility and disease resistance. Euphytica 126(2):177-184.
Kempler, C., H.A. Daubeny, B. Harding, and C.E. Finn. 2005. Esquimalt red raspberry. Hortscience 40(7):2192-2194.
Lewers, K., J.M. Enns, S.Y. Wang, J.L. Maas, G.J. Galletta, S.C. Hokanson, J.R. Clark, K. Demchak, R.C. Funt, A.R. Jamieson, G.R. Nonnecke, P.R. Probasco, G.L. Jelenkovic, S.A. Garrison, B.J. Smith, B.R. Smith, C.A. Weber. 2004. 'Ovation' strawberry. HortScience. 39(7):1785-1788.
Meyers, K.K., Watkins, C.B., Pritts, M.P., and Liu, R.H. 2003. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of strawberries. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51:6887-6892.
Moore, Patrick P. and Chad Finn. 2004. Strawberry, Raspberry and Blackberry Cultivars. Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association Proceedings.
Moore, P., P. Perkins-Veazie, C.A. Weber and L. Howard. 2005. Environmental Effect on Antioxidant Content of Ten Raspberry Cultivars. 9th International Rubus Ribes Symposium, Pucon, Chile December 4-7. OP44.
Pritts, M.P., R.W. Langhans, T. H. Whitlow, M.J. Kelly and A. Roberts. 1999. Winter raspberry production in greenhouses. HortTechnology 9:13-15.
Pritts, M. and J. Luby. 1990. Stability indices for horticultural crops. Feature article. HortScience 25:740-745.
Perkins-Veazie, P. and G. Nonnecke. 1992. Physiological changes during ripening of raspberry fruit. Hortscience 27(4):331-333.
Strik, B., J.R. Clark, C. Finn and G. Buller. 2005. Management of primocane-fruiting blackberry to maximize yield and extend the fruiting season. 9th International Rubus Ribes Symposium, Pucon, Chile December 4-7. OP38.
Weber, C.A., P. Perkins-Veazie, P. Moore, and L. Howard. 2005. Variabiltiy of Antioxidant Content in Raspberry Germplasm. 9th International Rubus Ribes Symposium, Pucon, Chile December 4-7. OP43.