Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Meeting Minutes: S-009 RTAC Virtual Meeting

Chair: Dr. Shuhao Yu

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:15 AM ET

 Dr. Shuhao Yu, S-009 RTAC Chair, called the virtual meeting to order at 10:02am ET, following with introductions and overview of the agenda.

 Neha Kothari began her presentation with an overview of the National Plant Germplasm System.  She discussed the NPGS mission and an overview of the Genebank Network locations. 22 genebank units. 621,600 total accessions, 575,000 seed accessions, 44,000 clonally propagated and 476,000 available accessions. NPGS Budget has increased to current $50,000,000. Current risks are backlogs, storage conditions, multiple submissions without genetic information, and clonally propagated crops. Genotyping and sequencing data enables understanding of genetic diversity. NPGS strategy combining a pangenome framework with low-pass Skim-sequencing to identify and reduce duplicated accessions.

 Jeffrey Dean: What can AgInnovation do to help with NPGS. Spoke with AgInnovations to help ARS to gather more resources to help support the NPGS. Working on white paper to help with plant improvement over the system to NAPB leadership. Defining what a plant breeder is.  Connecting plant breeders to the NPGS so they are connected and are aware of the system. Final copy of white paper will be provided once complete. How will future plant breeders be trained?   It is an issue that will still need to be investigated. Marta stated a course curriculum that is in the works for future plant breeders.

 Melanie Harrison: PGRCU Annual Update. Overview of crops in Griffin collection and curators for the crops. 106,000 accessions in collection. 1,601 species and 281 genera.  88.3% available. CY2025 26,512 accessions distributed. Personnel updates of new employees, retirements and resignations.

 Ming Li Wang: Identification of oxidation products from the long-term stored peanut germplasm seeds. Germination rate of new seeds 95.26% vs old seeds 61.75%. Fresh and dry weight new is 2.5 times vs old 1 time. Improvement of sweet potato tissue culture procedure from in vivo to in vitro is 5x more efficient and less contamination. Improvement of preparing distribution samples by hydroponics has reduced time of preparing samples from 6 weeks down to 2 weeks. In 2025, 56 accessions for sweet potato wild species and 95 accessions for clonal materials were distributed.

 Shyam Tallury: Discussed peanut curation activities. These activities included regeneration and 514 cultivated peanuts were submitted into the collection. No regenerations were planted in 2026 due to backlog. Wild species were grown in the greenhouses. 59 accessions were harvested and will be turned in for processing into the collection. 416 accessions will be planted in the greenhouse bays for genotyping in Huntsville, AL. Current characterization and evaluations with collaborators include genotyping, seed quality trait evaluations, and development of new allotetraploids and evaluation of wild species for disease resistances.

Vigna curation activities. These activities included regenerations and seeds of 109 cowpea accessions submitted for processing and 147 mung bean accessions for processing. 

 Brad Morris: Discussed legume, industrials crop, and grass regenerations. 96 accessions including 10 castor beans, 38 legumes, and 35 grass accessions were regenerated during FY25.  40 accessions including 13 Hibiscus spp. and 1 wing bean accessions are regenerating in the greenhouse during FY26. Hydroponics for regenerating plants has resulted in maximum health and seed production. Advantages are greater plant vigor, more seeds, fewer pests, less water usage, and conducive to solar power for outdoor usage. PI 491394 identified as best accession for producing jams, chutney and tea by Pride Rd., Inc. Selections from the roselle accession, PI 286316 resulted in several ornamental products selected including candy cane calyces and dark red to purple leaves.

Castor bean core collection developed which includes 126 accessions.

 Melanie Harrison: Discussed vegetable curation which she took over after Bob Jarret’s retirement. Pepper and eggplant are being regenerated in the greenhouse in Griffin this year. Luffa is being regenerated in Florida. Virus testing and TSP treatments are being conducted on newly regenerated pepper material. The sorghum collection is currently being genotyped using TWIST technology as a collaborative effort with ARS, Cold Springs Harbor (Doreen Ware Lab). Seed imaging is being performed on these same accessions in collaboration with ARS, Cold Springs Harbor (Doreen Ware and Nick Gladman).

 Jessica Shade: NIFA Report. NIFA is relocating and reorganizing to Kansas City. Jaye Hamby was appointed as the new NIFA Director. New USDA priorities include increase profitability for farmers and ranchers, expanding markets and new uses for US agriculture products, protecting American agriculture from invasive species, promoting soil health, and improving human health through nutrition and food quality.

 State Reports

 AL (Charles Chen): Peanut, cotton, soybean, forage, and blueberry crops identified as crops being worked on. No cultivar releases. Publications identified. Important traits identified. Peanut accession, PI 502120 originating from Peru is highly efficient water spender of drought tolerant peanut cultivar. It is part of the Peanut mini-core collection.

 AR (James Correll): No report.

 FL (Kevin Kenworthy): No report.

 GA (Amol Nankar): Reached out to 17 researchers engaged in plant breeding research. Pearl millet, pepper, roselle, cucurbits, and peanuts were identified as crops being worked on.  Long and short bristled pearl millet lines were requested to test for variation in a candidate gene for panicle bristling. 38 xPVP and 42 accessions and 9 wild species were requested form PGRCU. Peanut accessions were obtained before 2025 and were utilized to identify resistance against late leaf spot, root knot nematode, TSWV, and heat stress.

 GU (Mari Marutani): No report.

 KY (Timothy Phillips): No report.

 LA (Don Labonte): Not in attendance but report submitted.

 MS (Marta Pudzianowska): Four breeders from two universities working on sweet potato, peanut, clover, cowpea, and warm season grasses. 1 Publication published. No releases.  PI 503326 identified as drought-tolerant, high yielding. PI 666266 identified as drought tolerant.

 NC (Carlos Iglesias): Not in attendance but report submitted.

 OK (Shuaho Yu): Three breeders working on turfgrass, wheat and ornamentals. OSU1337 cultivar was released. Improved winter hardiness and high turfgrass quality. Hard red winter wheat OK198417C, OK20708, and OK21DTR1720-92. Peanut ARSOK-S58B[R]. Developing bermudagrasses with combined winter hardiness and drought resistance.

 PR (Carlos Flores Ortega): No report.

 SC (Rick Boyles): 11 publications. 5 field pea cultivars for organic production were released. Important traits identified in Brassicas, cowpea, okra, peanut, pepper, sesame, sorghum, sweet potato, and watermelon. Brassicas resistance to multiple diseases, peanut resistance to diseases, pepper resistance to diseases, sorghum resistance to diseases and mold, sweet potato root-knot resistance, and watermelon abiotic stress tolerance, root-knot nematode resistance, bacterial fruit blotch resistance, and flowering time. Sorghum antimicrobial activity in PI 607931. Watermelon USVL246-FR2 and USVL114. 16 plant breeders and geneticists routinely utilize USDA gene banks.

 TN (Virginia Sykes): Several breeding positions are set to be abolished at University of Tennessee. Written report will be submitted later.

 TX (Gerald Smith): Not in attendance but report submitted.

 VI (Thomas Zimmerman): Two sweet potato lines were released including ‘Midnight’. Written report will be submitted later.

 VA (Bastiaan Bargmann): Two breeding programs which involve S9 crops were identified. Written report will be submitted later.

 Jeffrey Dean: State reports are being read and are important.

 Shuhao Yu: Business Meeting - Approval of 2025 minutes, 2026 officers, and next meeting location. No 2025 minutes corrections were requested. Charles Chen made motion for minutes to be accepted, Bas Bargmann seconded the motion. Shuaho Yu will remain Chair for 2027 and complete second term. Kevin Kenworty (not in attendance) will remain as secretary for 2027 and complete second term. So, no nominations or voting were needed for officers. It was agreed that next meeting should be held in person. The committee voted to have the 2027 meeting jointly held with other RTACs. Rick Boyles made motion to have jointly. Amol Nankar seconded the motion. Voting was in favor of having a joint meeting. 2027 Meeting discussed to be at Pullman, WA but not voted on. Melanie Harrison will contact the other RTACs to inquire about next meeting and keep Shuaho Yu, Chair, informed.

 RTAC Chair Dr. Shuhao Yu adjourned the meeting at 12:15pm ET.

Project Number:                     S-009

 Project Title:                           Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization

 Period Covered:                      8/2026 to 7/2026

 Date of this Report:                August 11, 2026

 Annual Meeting Date:             July 8, 2026

Accomplishments

A large and highly valuable set of plant germplasm was preserved and distributed to scientists and plant breeders. A total of 106,186 accessions of 1,601 plant species representing 281 genera were maintained in the Griffin plant genetic resources collection. Over 88% of these accessions were available for distribution to users and over 95% were backed up securely at a second location. A total of 26,512 seed and clonal accessions were distributed upon request to scientists and educators worldwide in CY2025. Sorghum, okra, and peanut were the most distributed crops. Clonal collections were continually maintained and distributed to stakeholders. Clonal collections include warm-season grasses, bamboo, Chinese water chestnut, perennial peanut, and sweet potato. Preservation methods include tissue culture, field plots, greenhouse plants, and hydroponics. Germination testing continued for newly regenerated germplasm but only on a limited basis due to the vacancy in a critical scientific support position. Regeneration and evaluation activities are listed in detail below. These activities ensure that the crop genetic resources at the Griffin location are safeguarded for future use to develop new cultivars and identify novel traits and uses in our food and fiber crops ultimately increasing farmer productivity and national food security.

Regenerations and Clonal Maintenance:

• A total of 514 accessions of cultivated peanut, 59 accessions of 33 wild peanut species, 109 cowpea, 147 mung beans, 55 luffa, 22 pepper, and 59 grasses were regenerated and processed into the germlasm collection.
• Regenerations of eggplant and pepper are currently being conducted in the greenhouse this summer. Pepper germplasm is being treated with Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) pre and post plant to reduce virus infection and is being virus tested for Tobamoviruses and Pospoviroids as resources allow.
• Hydroponics is being tested for its ability to maximize plant health and seed production of bermudagrass, zoysia, and Sesbania. Initial results have shown that hydroponics leads to greater plant vigor due to continuous re-circulating fertigation and aeration, increased seed production, fewer pests (including aphids, spider mites, and white flies), and less water usage.
• Hydroponics is being used to “jump start” the in vitro sweet potato plants before planting them in the greenhouse. The greenhouse plants are then re-introduced into tissue culture. This has resulted in much improved plant vigor and has eliminated a lot of bacterial and fungal contamination. Sweet potato germplasm is now being distributed as seedlings obtained through hydroponics which has made it much easier to ship instead of in vitro tubes, and the survival rate is much higher.
• An onsite in vitro back up (different building across campus) for the sweet potato germplasm is being established with the greenhouse plants being maintained as an additional back up of the collection. This increases the security of the collection.

Characterizations:

• TWIST genetic marker technology and seed imaging with trait extraction is being used to characterize a significant portion of the sorghum germplasm collection in collaboration with ARS researchers in Ithaca, New York and Hudson Alpha, Huntsville, Alabama. The results of this project will be used to identify redundancies in the sorghum collection, potentially link trait data to markers, and refine the core collection. This will increase value and utilization of the collection and benefit farmers in the long term by enabling more efficient trait discovery and development of elite sorghum varieties.
• Peanut seeds have about 50% oil on average. This makes them a good source of oil for cooking and frying. However, the high oil content also makes peanuts prone to a process called oxidation over time during storage. Oils and fats are made up of different fatty acids, and certain fatty acids are more likely than others to be oxidized due to their specific chemical structure. Oxidation causes the oil to go rancid resulting in bad tasting peanuts and reduced shelf life of the oil. It also reduces the viability of the seeds over time, an important factor to consider in preserving stored oilseed collections. We compared stored peanut seeds from the USDA collection with freshly grown seeds to study the effects of storage on the oil. We identified three chemical compounds that were present in higher amounts in the stored seeds. We also found a corresponding decrease in one fatty acid that is more susceptible to oxidation. Through a series of chemical analyses, we were able to positively identify the three compounds and show that they are the products of fatty acid oxidation in stored seeds.
• Genotyping of cultivated peanut germplasm is being continued in collaboration with HudsonAlpha Institute, Huntsville, Alabama and University of Georgia, Tifton, Georgia. Also, 416 accessions of 61 wild peanut species are being planted in the greenhouse bays for genotyping in collaboration with HudsonAlpha Institute, Huntsville, Alabama. Data gathered from this study will be used to identify redundancies in the collection and discover unique alleles resulting in a more efficiently managed germplasm collection with greater benefit to plant breeders, stakeholders, and ultimately farmers.
• New peanut allotetraploids were developed, and wild peanut accessions were evaluated for disease resistances in collaboration with University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. This germplasm is an excellent source of novel genes for peanut improvement. The newly identified sources of disease resistance are critical to protecting peanut farmers from catastrophic losses that could result from genetic uniformity currently present in commercial varieties.
• Peanut seeds progressively accumulate epoxidation products during long-term storage. By comparing newly generated and long-term stored seeds, we showed that this accumulation is associated with reduced germination and abnormal seedling growth. These findings highlight how storage duration affects seed viability and provide important considerations for the long-term preservation of peanut germplasm.
• Cowpea germplasm was evaluated for Curculio weevil resistance and accessions with different resistant mechanisms were identified. The cowpea curculio is weevil insect pest affecting cowpea production in the Southeastern United States. Current pest control strategies involve foliar insecticide applications targeting the above-ground adult life stage, but these methods do not provide sufficient control, emphasizing the need for resistant varieties. The study evaluated diverse cowpea materials for resistance and identified some with potential resistance to the cowpea curculio. These materials help the development of varieties resistant to the cowpea curculio needed by farmers.
• Roselle, PI 491394, was identified over three years in collaboration with Pride Road, Inc., Georgia for high calyx and seed production in Georgia fields. Pride Road, Inc. will use the calyces from PI 491394 for producing jams, chutney, and tea. This is an excellent example of how germplasm in the Griffin, Georgia collection is valuable to local, niche farmers and can increase their profitability.
• A castor bean core collection of 126 accessions was established based on oil content and fatty acid profiles. This core collection is calculated to represent 95% of the diversity in the entire castor collection of 1,033 accessions. This provides researchers with a highly diverse set of germplasm with a manageable population size. This will increase utilization of the collection.

Impacts

Germplasm distributed by researchers of this project resulted in numerous publications, plant variety releases, and patents as detailed in the state reports provided by the S-009 State Representatives. The state reports are provided below to document this impact.

State Reports Submitted in 2025

Alabama

Charles Chen, University of Alabama

 Releases/Cultivars: None

Current Plant Breeders:

Charles Chen, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, cyc0002@auburn.edu / Peanut

Jenny Koebernick, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, jenny.koebernick@auburn.edu / Cotton, Soybean

Marvin Wolfe, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, mdw0092@auburn.edu / Forage

Jinesh Patel Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, jdp0078@auburn.edu / Cotton

Susan Ru, Department of Horticulture, Auburn University, szr0099@auburn.edu / Blueberry

Important traits identified in our germplasm:

Drs. Charles Chen and Alvaro Sanz-Saez from Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University have identified and classified peanut germplasm accession PI502120 as high efficient use of water (water spender) genotype of drought tolerant peanut cultivar. PI 502120 is an Arachis hypogaea (cultivated peanut) accession originating from Peru. It is part of the US Peanut Mini-Core Collection and is widely recognized in breeding programs for its drought tolerance.

Citations:

2022. Zhang, Q., Dang, P., Chen, C., Feng, Y., Batchelor, W., Lamb, M., & Sanz-Saez, A. 2022. Tolerance to mid-season drought in peanut can be achieved by high water use efficiency or high efficient use of water. Crop Science, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20806
2023. Yogesh Dashrath Naik, Alvaro Sanz-Saez, Charles Chen, Phat Dang, N. Ace Pugh, Andrew Young, Yves Emendack and Naveen Puppala. 2026. Physiological and Yield Responses of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Genotypes Under Well-Watered and Water-Stressed Conditions. Plants2026, 15(8), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15081243.

Arkansas

No state report was submitted for Arkansas.

 Florida

No state report was submitted for Florida.

 Georgia

Amol Nankar, University of Georgia

 To prepare the annual germplasm utilization report for CY 2025, we reached out to 17 researchers engaged in plant breeding research and all the researchers contacted are from public sector plant breeding research such as University of Georgia. During the outreach efforts, we asked for information about S9 requested germplasm utilization, traits identified from requested germplasm evaluation, publications derived from S9 germplasm, and cultivars or breeding germplasm developed and released.

As expected, most of the work reported being conducted is in the initial stages of trait characterization and pre-breeding. The examples below are from these responses, from presentations at the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (UGA) retreat and literature search. Many of the publications are likely to have been derived from germplasm requested prior to 2025.

Pearl Millet:

Long- and short-bristled pearl millet lines were requested to test for variation in a candidate gene for panicle bristling that we identified. The phenotyping and genotyping are still ongoing, so there are no publications yet (UGA, Athens).

 Pepper:

38 xPVPs, and 42 accessions belonging to C. annuum and 9 accessions (wild species) belonging to C. chinense, C. baccatum, C. flexuosum, and C. galapagoense were requested from S9 unit. Requested germplasm is being used in comprehensive trait characterization for screening against disease (phytophthora blight, and anthracnose), insects (pepper weevil, thrips, and whitefly), and horticultural trait evaluation. Additionally, this germplasm has been extensively utilized in pepper pre-breeding efforts. This germplasm has resulted in research publication (Jaganathan et al 2026) while several research manuscripts are under review (UGA Tifton).

Roselle:

Roselle germplasm accessions were requested and are currently evaluated in the field screening (UGA Griffin).

 Cucurbits:

Watermelon germplasm was requested from S9 to develop whitefly-transmitted virus-resistant breeding germplasm (UGA Athens), and three publications were produced in this research (Grumet et al 2026, Luckew et al 2025, and Sun et al 2026).

 Peanut:

Peanut accessions were obtained before 2025 and were utilized to identify resistance against late leaf spot, root knot nematode, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), and heat stress (UGA Athens). Requested germplasm has resulted in producing several publications (Maharjan et al. 2026, Awori et al 2026, Barnes et al 2026, Leal-Bertioli et al 2025, Lamon et al 2025, Awori et al 2025, Maharjan et al 2026, and Barnes et al 2026).

Additionally, wild diploid accessions requested in 2025 are utilized in making diploid crosses (UGA Athens).

Germplasm Release: S9 germplasm has been used to develop breeding lines (RBS-226-C and BatSten Introgressed Lines).

RBS-226-C is an advanced peanut line derived from the induced allotetraploid GA-BatSten1. It has superior agronomic traits combined with strong rust resistance. Released in 2024.

BatSten Introgressed Lines population: 32 elected advanced, backcrossed lines derived from the induced allotetraploid BatSten1. Released in 2025.

 Peanut germplasm requested from S9 unit has been useful in identifying resistance sources against key diseases, insects, and abiotic stresses as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Original diploid Arachis accessions used for crosses

*Rust caused by Puccinia arachidis; ELS, early leaf spot caused by Passalora arachidicola; LLS, late leaf spot, caused by Northopassalora personata; scab, caused by Sphaceloma arachidis; FA – Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda; thrips = Enneothrips flavens.

**References for resistance of the accessions: L1 = (Levinson et al. 2021); B= Ballen et al., 2019); F= (Fávero et al. 2009); M1 = (Michelotto et al. 2015); L2 = (Levinson et al. 2020); M2= (Michelotto et al. 2017), LB = (Leal-Bertioli et al., 2015a).

Guam

Mari Marutani, University of Guam

 Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

A selection of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), PI 275414 cv. “Rouge” originally obtained from PGRCU/S-009 was cultivated for regeneration of seed stock from October 2024 to April 2025 and seeds were collected for local distribution and for conducting further field trials at for regeneration of seed stock at the University of Guam. The PI275414 and “KDN” from the University of the Virgin Islands were used in the studies on crop production cost analysis and post-harvest handling study by an agriculture major at the University of Guam as special project in 2025.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Ten sweet potato germplasm from the S9 repository have been maintained in the tissue culture laboratory at the University of Guam. In 2025, the University of Guam performed virus-indexing work on plant materials in in-vitro culture according to the procedure developed by the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) in order to distribute virus-indexed sweet potato plant materials to other insular agricultural institutions in the western Pacific region. Screened germplasms included: PI531122 (‘Jewel’), PI531154 (‘Lurin’), PI531168 (Corazon de Huarango’), PI573294 (Mondo de Cante’), PI573322 (‘Waimanalo’), PI573322 (‘85016-100 Tonga’), PI641934 (‘Molokai Purple’), PI653843 (‘Charleston Scarlet’), PI653843 (‘Liberty’) and PI566613 (‘Beauregard’). Eight viruses tested were SPVG (Potyviridae: Sweet potato virus G), SPVC (Potyviridae: Sweet potato virus C), SPFMV (Potyviridae: Sweet potato feathery mottle virus), SPV2 (Potyviridae: Sweet potato virus 2), SPLCV (Geminiviridae: Sweet potato leaf curl virus), SPPV (Caulimoviridae: Sweet potato pakakuy virus), SPSMV-1(Geminiviridae: Sweet potato symptomless mastrevirus 1), and SPCSV (Closteroviridae: Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus). Among them, SPV2 and SPCSV have not been detected. On the other hand, almost all accessions had SPSMV-1.

Kentucky

No state report was submitted for Kentucky.

Louisiana

Don LaBonte, Louisiana State University

The sweetpotato breeding program is the only breeding program in Louisiana serviced by the S-9 repository.

Sweetpotato germplasm requests from the S-9 repository serve three purposes: 1) in search of a source of resistance to specific diseases, and 2) to evaluate resistance to diseases of germplasm in the collection to assist the curator in expanding the information in the characterization database.  The objective is to evaluate sweetpotato germplasm for resistance against the black rot causing pathogen Ceratocystis fimbriata. An S-9 core of 50 plant introductions and an additional set of lines at the PGRU will be screened. This represents the geographic and phenotypic diversity of sweetpotato diversity at PGRU. Several of these are new introductions from Japan with putative resistance (Kyuushuu 100 and Kasho Nourin). Several lines are to be screened for guava root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne enterolobii. Future evaluations include screening for resistance to sclerotial blight and bacterial soft rot. 3.) Select lines from the PGRU are used in conventional breeding program. Many varieties today can trace back to PGRU heritage.

Mississippi

Marta Pudzianowska, Mississippi State University

Releases/Cultivars: No releases. (James Garner, Alcorn State University, has eight advanced lines of sweet potato)

Current Plant Breeders:

• James Garner; Alcorn State University; jogarner@alcorn.edu; sweet potato
• Jesse Morrison; Mississippi State University; morrison@msstate.edu; rhizoma peanut, clovers, trifolium carolinianum, native grasses, big bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass
• Marta Pudzianowska; Mississippi State University; pudzianowska@msstate.edu; turfgrass
• Raju Bheemanahalli Rangappa; Mississippi State University; rajubr@pss.msstate.edu; cowpea

Important traits identified in our germplasm:

• purple color but with softer texture and increased sweetness - James Garner, Alcorn State University
• Salinity tolerance – Jesse Morrison, Mississippi State University
• Spring greenup – Marta Pudzianowska, Mississippi State University (PI 286584, PI 287154, PI 287156, PI 289923, PI 290812, PI 290813, PI 290894, PI 291733, PI 291962, PI 673407 – needs repeating next season)
• Drought tolerance - Raju Bheemanahalli Rangappa, Mississippi State University (PI 503326 - drought-tolerant + high-yielding; PI 666266 - drought-tolerant)

 North Carolina

Carlos Iglesias, North Carolina State University

Releases and Patents - None this year

Current Plant Breeders

Susana R. Milla-Lewis

Professor, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, NCSU, susana_milla-lewis@ncsu.edu

turfgrass: zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, tall fescue

Esdras M. Carbajal

Research Scholar, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, NCSU, emcarbaj@ncsu.edu

turfgrass: zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, tall fescue

Beatriz T. Gouveia

Research Scholar, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, NCSU, btomego@ncsu.edu

turfgrass: zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, tall fescue

Important Traits

1. A St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] germplasm panel that includes all plant introductions in GRIN is being phenotyped for a genome-wide association study on drought tolerance. The manuscript summarizing this work should be submitted for publication at the end of this year.

2. A zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) germplasm panel that includes all plant introductions in GRIN is being phenotyped for a genome-wide association study on components of seed yield and seedling emergence. The manuscript summarizing this work should be submitted for publication early spring 2027.
3. St. Augustinegrass germplasm, including PIs, was screened for brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani) response in the greenhouse in order to identify sources of resistance that can be used in breeding. The manuscript summarizing this work should be submitted for publication early spring 2027.

 Oklahoma

Shuhao Yu, Oklahoma State University

Cultivars:

An interspecific hybrid bermudagrass cultivar, High Point (OSU1337) was released with improved winter hardiness and high turfgrass quality.

Hard Red Winter Wheat OK198417C, OK20708, and OK21DTR1720-92.

Peanut USDA ARS 250th Anniversary (ARSOK-S58B[R]).

Breeders:

Yanqi Wu, Oklahoma State University, yanqi.wu@okstate.edu, turfgrass

Brett Carver, Oklahoma State University, brett.carver@okstate.edu, wheat

Chi Nguyen, Oklahoma State University, chi.l.nguyen@okstate.edu, ornamental

Important Traits Identified in Germplasm

Chi Nguyen:

Formal trait identification and accession-level comparisons are still in progress. Current germplasm evaluation activities include:

• Begonia (Begonia spp.) evaluation of ornamental germplasm for foliar color and pattern, plant architecture, compact growth, propagation response, tissue-culture regeneration, and phenotypic variation generated through mutation breeding. Current work includes wax and rhizomatous begonia types, with emphasis on identifying stable and commercially useful ornamental traits.
• Native and underutilized landscape plants — seed and clonal germplasm are being assembled for evaluation of drought and heat tolerance, compact plant habit, low-maintenance performance, ornamental display, and propagation potential.

Yanqi Wu:

Developing bermudagrasses combine winter hardiness and drought resistance.

Shuhao Yu:

Genetic dissect drought resistance, winter hardiness, salt tolerance, and root structure traits in bermudagrass and develop molecular markers for marker-assisted selection and integrate genomic selection into bermudagrass breeding and selection pipelines. In addition, investigate and develop new genetic resources, such as nimblewill and Carex, as shade-tolerant and drought-resistant turfgrass alternatives.

Puerto Rico

No state report was submitted for Puerto Rico.

South Carolina

Rick Boyles, Clemson University

Tennessee

Virginia R. Sykes, University of Tennessee

Texas

Gerald R. Smith, Texas A&M University

In a two year study at Overton, TX, two forage cowpea PI lines were identified with high biomass production in combination with high seed yield.  Entry PI 367863 was resistant to southern root-knot nematode and combined high biomass and seed yields in Year one.  Entry PI 175963 had high biomass yield and high relative seed yield in both evaluation years. Both PI 367863 and PI 175963 should be useful in future crosses to develop cowpea cultivars with high biomass production potential and southern root-knot nematode resistance, in combination with September seed production in northeast Texas and similar climatic zones in the US southern region.   This research was conducted in Dr. Gerald Smith’s lab (Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Overton, TX.).

In 2021 the cowpea PI 579840 was had crossed with PI 632979 (Vigna unguiculata subsp dekindtiana), a wild-type perennial relative of cultivated cowpea.  Two F1 hybrids were identified based on trait segregation and were advanced to the F3 generation.  In field evaluations of F3 families, major differences were observed in root system development in the hybrid families compared to standard check forage cowpeas.  Evaluations of this germplasm are continuing. .   This research was conducted in Dr. Gerald Smith’s lab (Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Overton, TX.).

Dr. Mark Hussey’s program at TAMU has focused on research with side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) with emphasis on determining the DNA content of the germplasm in the NPGS collection using flow cytometry and determining genetic variation within and between the requested germplasm and commercial varieties released by the USDA-NRCS using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR’s) from Bouteloua dactyloides (Nutt.) Columbus.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Thomas W. Zimmerman, University of the Virgin Islands

 Releases/Cultivars

Festival, Midnite

 Current Plant Breeders

 Thomas W. Zimmerman, University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station, St Croix, VI. tzimmer@uvi.edu  Hibiscus sabdariffa, sweetpotato, dragon fruit

 Important traits

 Calyx size, leaf characteristics  PI#274245 and PI#291128

Virginia

Bas Bargmann, Virginia Tech

 Dr. Balota at Virginia Tech used Arachis hypogaea as well as previously obtained Vicia faba lines to assess winter hardiness in Virginia as part of a proposal "Enhanced Mid-Atlantic System Sustainability Through Development of High-Protein and Stress Tolerant Faba Bean for Winter Production".

 Dr. Timko at the University of Virginia used his Vigna subterranea germplasm to conduct a very limited field trial with bambara groundnut materials in Virginia this growing season with the hopes of selecting lines that perform well in this geographic area. This work is part of a general Vigna subterranea (bambara groundnut) improvement program that interfaces with various programs supported by several international agencies, GCIAR, VACS, and Kirkhouse Trust. They have also received some Vigna unguiculata which they plan to look at with respect to waterlogging, but these trials are yet to be organized.

 Dr. Zhao at Virginia Tech evaluated for disease and cold tolerance of requested Capsicum germplasm.

 Germplasm Releases and Patents: NA

Peer-Reviewed Publications

 Adhikari J, Vitrakoti D, Ployaram W, Khanal S, Chandnani R, Patel J, Shehzad T, Chee P and Paterson AH, 2025. Molecular dissection of quantitative variation in fiber elongation between Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense in reciprocal near-isogenic lines. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16, p.1657140. Doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1657140

Arikilla, S., Cevallos, F. N., Moss, J. Q., Yu, S., Fontanier, C. H., Martin, D. L., ... & Xiang, M. (2025). Responses of turf‐type hybrid bermudagrasses to drought stress. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.178

Benke, R.L., Tonnis, B.D., Wang, M.L., Wang, M., Li, X., Tishchenko, V., Tallury, S.P.

2026. Preliminary evidence of an association between oxidation during long-term

peanut germplasm storage and impaired seedling emergence and growth. Genetic

Resources and Crop Evolution. 73. Article 222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-026-

02856-y.

Birhan, T., Abajebel, N., Wakjira, M., Mitiku, T., Vadez, V., Tadege, M., ... & Bantte, K. (2025). Harnessing the genetic potential of exotic sorghum germplasm for drought resilience in arid regions of Ethiopia. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16, 1548591.

Bock, J. E., Adegbite, I., Hoelscher, A. D., Brower, K., Bai, G., Chen, Y. R., ... & Carver, B. F. (2025). Novel dough strength of ‘Paradox’,‘Breadbox’, and ‘Firebox’hard red winter wheat provides value as ingredient flour. Journal of Plant Registrations, 19(3), e70027.

Carbajal, E.M., Gouveia, B.T., van der Laat, R., Miller, G.L., Dunne, J.C., Schwartz, B.M., Brandenburg, R., Schoeman, A., and Milla-Lewis, S.R. 2025. Evaluation of bermudagrass germplasm newly introduced from Africa for shade tolerance and simple sequence repeat (SSR) allelic diversity. Genet Resour Crop Evol 72, 9709–9725 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-025-02518-5

Cevallos, F., M. Xiang1, J. Q. Moss, D. Martin, C. Fontanier, Y. Q. Wu, S. Yu1. 2025. Gene expression profiling of African bermudagrass under cold acclimation. Hort Science. 60(5):645–656.

Cevallos, F., M. Xiang, S. Yu, J. Q. Moss, Y. Q. Wu, B. Schwartz. 2025. Assessing drought resistance in bermudagrass using dual methodologies. Grassresearch. 5:e012. doi: 10.48130/grares-0025-0008

Delfin, M. M., & Marutani, M. (2025). Studies on Phytochemistry and Antioxidant Capacity of Nine Hibiscus sabdariffa Accessions. HortScience, 60(6), 832-840. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI18483-25

Gladman, N.P., Olson, A., Kumari, S., Wei, S., Chougule, K., Lu, Z., Tello-Ruiz, M.K.,

Van Buren, P., Kumar, V., Zhang, L., Olson, A., Kim, C., Braynen, J., Hayes, C.M.,

Xin, Z., Klein, R.R., Rooney, W.L., Provart, N., Pasha, A., O'Meara, A., Shakoor, N.,

Michael, T.P., Harrison, M.L., Ware, D. 2026. SorghumBase: A Knowledgebase for

Sorghum Genomics, Phenomics, and Stakeholder Engagement. Genetics.

https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyaf266.

Gouveia, B., K.E. Kenworthy, A. Chandra, B.M. Schwartz, J. Zhang, P. Raymer, Y.Q. Wu, M. Pudzianowska, J. Baird, G. Miller, J. Unruh, B. Wherley, D.L. Martin, J. Moss, and S.R. Milla-Lewis. 2025. Enhancing drought resistance in warm-season turfgrasses: Fourteen years of progress through a multi-state collaborative project across the southern US. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21393

Houting, K.P., Yu, X., Pradhan, S., Gouveia, B.T., Kerns, J.P. Schwartz, B.M., Conner, J., Patton, A.J., Devos, K.M., and Milla-Lewis, S.R. 2025. Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling large patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn AG 2-2LP) resistance in zoysiagrass. Phytopathology (in press) https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-10-24-0311-R

Jie Zhang, Kelly Chamberlin, Mingli wang, Josh Clevenger, Phat Dang, Ye Chu, Corley Holbrook, Peggy Ozias-Akins, Charles Chen. 2026. Whole genome-wide association study reveals genetic insights into leaf spot disease resistances and seed germination/dormancy in peanut. Front. Plant Sci., https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1838203.

Kajla, A., C. Fontanier, L. Zhang, Y.Q. Wu, B. Schwartz, S. Milla-Lewis, S. Singh. 2025. Morphological response of bermudagrass genotypes to neutral-density shade. HortScience 60(5):794-800. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI18169-24

Khanal, S., Patel, J. D., Adhikari, J., Chandnani, R., Vitrakoti, D., Brown, N., Wang, B., Jones, D. C., Chee, P. W., & Paterson, A. H. 2026. Deploying exotic alleles to mitigate genetic bottlenecks: A case study in cotton fiber quality improvement. Industrial Crops and Products, 243, 123034. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123034

Li, T., Nagarajan, R., Liu, S., Luzuriaga, J. C., Zhai, W., Cao, S., ... & Yan, L. (2025). The E3 ligase Ta E3V-B1 ubiquitinates proteins encoded by the vernalization gene TaVRN1 and regulates developmental processes in wheat. Plant Physiology, 197(1), kiae606.

Mengistu, M., D.D. Serba, M.R. Conley, R. Hejl, Y.Q. Wu and C.F. Williams. 2025. Response of turf bermudagrass hybrids to induced drought stress under controlled environment. Grasses. https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4020023

Milla-Lewis, S., B. Gouveia, E., Carbajal, G. Miller, A. Patton, B. Schwartz, K. Kenworthy, R. Braun, R. Van der Laat, X. Yu, J. Zhang, A. Chandra, Y.Q. Wu, P. Raymer, M. Pudzianowska, J. Baird, C. Fontanier, & J. Unruh. Registration of ‘XZ 14069’ zoysiagrass. Journal of Plant Registrations. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20430

Morris, J.B., Tonnis, B.D., Chen, Z., Wang, M.L. 2026. Selection of a core collection

from the U.S. castor bean germplasm collection. Crop Science. 7(13):181-191.

https://doi.org/10.46265/genresj.ZUEQ4037.

Nguyen, C.D., S.D. Wannemuehler, and M.A. Schnelle. 2026. A data-integrated framework for identifying breeding opportunities in the US ornamental plant industry. HortScience 61(7):1419–1428. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19414-26.

Patel J, Patel S, Cook L, Fallen BD, & Koebernick J. 2025. Soybean genome wide association study of seed weight, protein, and oil content in the southeastern USA. Molecular Genetics and Genomics, 300(1), 1-14. Doi: 10.1007/s00438-025-02228-8

Pokhrel, B., S. Yu, C. Fontanier, D. Martin, Y. Wu, and M. Xiang. 2025. Impact of a horticultural mineral oil on bermudagrass performance under salinity stress. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. 10.1002/its2.70033.

Poudel, S., L. V. Sankarapillai, B. Adhikari, K. R. Reddy, and R. Bheemanahalli (2025). Tolerance of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (l.) walp.) genotypes to drought stress during vegetative and reproductive stages. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 211(4), e70086. https://doi.org/10.1111/jac.70086.

Qiao, L., Li, T., Liu, S., Zhang, X., Fan, M., Zhang, X., ... & Yan, L. (2025). Ali-A1 and TPL1 proteins interactively modulate awn development in wheat. The Crop Journal, 13(2), 468-479.

Schiavon, M., T. Pirtle, K. Cox, E. Rios, B. Unruh, J. Erickson, A.J. Lindsey, K. Kenworthy, B. Cardenas, M. Dukes, B. Schwartz, P. Raymer, A. Chandra, and Y.Q. Wu. Irrigation frequency requirements for sufficient warm-season species quality in Florida. International Turfgrass Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.70000

Serba, D.D., R.H. Hejl, Y.Q. Wu, K.R. Thorp, M.M. Conley, and C.F. Williams. 2025. Performance of turf bermudagrass hybrids with deficit irrigation in the Desert Southwest USA. Applied Sciences. 15: 9151-9166. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15169151

Sharma A, Xu M, Vitrakoti D, Patel JD, Chee PW & Paterson AH, 2025. Genetic basis and role of exotic accessions in cultivated cotton fiber quality improvement. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 138(10), pp.1-18. Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-025-05043-2

Song, Z., Liu, J., Qian, X., Xia, Z., Wang, B., Liu, N., ... & Li, Y. (2025). Functional Verification of the Soybean Pseudo-Response Factor GmPRR7b and Regulation of Its Rhythmic Expression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(6), 2446.

Stalker, H.T., Tallury, S.P., Dunne, J.C., Andres, R.J., Hancock, W.G., Massa, A.N.

2025. Registration of two Arachis hypogaea x A. diogoi introgression lines. Journal of

Plant Registrations. 19(3). Article e70018. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.70018.

Tadesse, D., Tancos, M. A., & Tadege, M. (2025). SbHMA5 is a P1B-type Cu ATPase involved in Cu homeostasis by interacting with metallochaperones SbATX1 and SbFRN3. Plant Science, 112956.

Tallury, S.P., Gerrano, A.S., Deshmukh, D., Han, S., Mekonnen, T., Labuschagne, M.

2025. Peanut Genetic Resources: Status, Challenges and Use in Peanut Genetic

Improvement. Zhuang, W., Varshney, R., Wang, X., Zhang, X., editors. Peanut

Genomics and Biotechnology. 1st edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 17-34.

Tallury, S.P., Leal-Bertioli, S.C., Bertioli, D.J., Stigura, N.E., Simpson, C.E., Seijo,

G.J. 2026. USDA peanut germplasm collection and the international treaties. Peanut

Science. 53(1):66-76. https://doi.org/10.3146/0095-3679-53-PS1673.

Tallury, S.P., Mobley, M.B., Simpson, C.E. 2025. Peanut growth and development:

From fertilization to mature pod. Peanut Science. 52(2):82-91. http://doi.org/10.3146/0095-3679-52.2-PS1644.

Tello-Ruiz, M.K., Cezard, T., Andorf, C.M., Balyan, S., Bassil, N.V., Beier, S.,

Bushakra, J., Chang, T., Chogule, K., Cobo-Simon, I., Dyer, S., Elsik, C.G., Gladman,

N.P., Harrison, M.L., Humann, J., Kim, C., Kumar, V., Nandety, R., Nelson, R., Olson,

A., Sen, T.Z., Shehan, M., Wei, S., Ware, D. 2026. Adoption of Standard Reference

SNP Identifiers in Agricultural Genomics to Enable Interoperability and Data Reuse.

Scientific Data. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07208-0.

Thapa B., Yu, S., Xiang, M., Tadege, M., and Wu, Y.Q. Unveiling the genetic determinants of germination efficiency in common bermudagrass: A Genome-Wide Association Study. The Plant Genome. 19(1), e70219. https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.70219

Thompson, E., Korani, W., Wu, D., Garg, V., Tonnis, B.D., Wang, M.L., Holbrook Jr,

C.C., Ozias-Akins, P., Culbreath, A.K., Varshney, R.K., Guo, B., Clevenger, J.P. 2026.

Population-specific pangenome unveils a third FAD2 gene and solves the peanut midoleic

fatty acid mystery. Nature Communications. 17:654.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67371-7.

Tonnis, B.D., Wang, M., Wang, M.L., Chittiboyina, A., Zhao, J., Benke, R.L., Li, X.,

Mobley, M.B., Tallury, S.P. 2026. Impact of storage on peanut seeds: Part A – longterm

storage and oxidation product accumulation. Journal of Agricultural and Food

Chemistry. 6(3):844-852. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.6c00140.

Vines, P., B. Gouveia, A. Chandra, M. Chavarria, C. Fontanier, K. Kenworthy, P. Raymer, B. Schwartz, B. Wherley, Y.Q. Wu, S. Milla-Lewis. 2025. Performance of advanced breeding lines of bermudagrasses, seashore paspalum, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrasses in response to shade. International Turfgrass Research Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/its2.70091

Wang, Z., Huang, Y., Bi, X., Wang, T., Zhang, Y., Zhao, W., ... & Wang, H. (2025). HEADLESS represses a CYP735 monooxygenase gene and promotes iP-type cytokinin accumulation in the Medicago truncatula shoot apex. Plant Physiology, 198(3), kiaf306.

Wolabu, T. W., Mahmood, K., Birhan, T., Daruvuri, S. M., Jerez, I. T., Wu, Y., ... & Udvardi, M. (2026). Mutating alfalfa NAP1 and NAP2 transcription factors by multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing leads to delayed senescence with improved forage biomass, nutritional quality, and salinity tolerance. The Plant Journal, 126(6), e70996.

Yogesh Dashrath Naik, Alvaro Sanz-Saez, Charles Chen, Phat Dang, N. Ace Pugh, Andrew Young, Yves Emendack and Naveen Puppala. 2026. Physiological and Yield Responses of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Genotypes Under Well-Watered and Water-Stressed Conditions. Plants 2026, 15(8), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15081243.

Yu, S., Z. Shi, M. Aoun, Y. Wu, T. Fang, C. Fontanier, M. Xiang. 2026. Development of KASP markers and genomic prediction for winter hardiness in African bermudagrass. Grass Research. https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/grares-0026-0007.

Yu, S., B. Tome, J. Zhang, …M. Xiang… 2025. Genetic gain and GEI in turf bermudagrass drought resistance improvement in the southern U.S. Crop Science. 65(6), e70184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70184

Yu, S., C. Fontanier, L. Singh, M. Fishbein, M. Singh, D. Martin, M. Xiang. 2025. Genetic diversity and variations among Oklahoma and Texas sedge germplasm. Crop Science. 65(2), e70045.

Yu,Y. Wu, M. Xiang, J. Moss, and R. Earp. 2025. Genetic gains and genotype-by-environment interaction in turf bermudagrass drought resistance improvement in the southern United States. Crop Science. 65(6), e70184. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70184

Yu, S., Wu, Y.Q., Fang, T., Xiang, M., Fontanier, C.H., Moss, J.Q., Martin, D.L. (2025). Detection of QTL associated with morphological, adaptive, and reproductive traits in common bermudagrass. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. DOI: 10.1002/its2.70007

Yu, S., B.T. Gouveia, J. Zhang, Y.Q. Wu, B.R. Schwartz, S.R. Milla-Lewis, K.E. Kenworthy, B.J. Unruh, A. Chandra, P.L. Raymer, M.T. Pudzianowska, J.H. Baird, E.C. Melgar, M. Xiang, J.Q. Moss, & R. Earp. 2025. Genetic gains and GEI in turf bermudagrass drought resistance improvement in the southern U.S. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70184

Zhang, J., Chamberlin, K.D., Wang, M.L., Clevenger, J.P., Dang, P.M., Chu, Y.,

Holbrook Jr, C.C., Ozias-Akins, P., Chen, C. 2026. Whole genome-wide association

study reveals genetic insights into leaf spot disease resistances and seed

germination/dormancy in peanut. Frontiers in Plant Science. 17. Article 1838203.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1838203.

Zhang, D., Fan, M., Li, T., Rauf, Y., Liu, Y., Zhu, X., ... & Yan, L. (2025). A natural allele of the transcription factor gene TaMYB-D7b is a genetic signature for phosphorus deficiency in wheat. Plant Physiology, 199(3), kiaf224.

Zhang, H., Yan, L., & Huang, Y. (2024). SgR1, encoding a leucine-rich repeat containing receptor-like protein, is a major aphid (Schizaphis graminum) resistance gene in sorghum. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(1), 19.

Zhou, C., Wang, H., Zhu, X., Li, Y., Zhang, B., Tadege, M., ... & Xia, Z. (2025). Functional genomics: From soybean to legume. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(13), 6323.

Zimmerman, T.W. 2025. ‘Midnite’: Combining Caribbean and African Hibiscus sabdariffa. All African Horticulture Conference ISHS. Acta Hort 1422.20:163-166. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1422.20

Zimmerman, Thomas W. 2024. ‘FESTIVAL’: A new Caribbean sorrel. 57th Caribbean Food Crops Society.  57:22-23. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bb88ab5aadd347e10f9c704/t/67b115ba51aadd0d2f57177d/1739658722821/PROCEEDING+57+CFCS+2024+FINAL.pdf

Patents

Patent: Labonte, D.R., A.Q. Villordon, T.P Smith, J.C. Gregorie, I. Power. 2025. Sweetpotato plant named ‘LA18-100’. United States Plant Patent. PP36,736