Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Chris Smart (Director of Cornell AgriTech and NE9 Advisor) welcomed the group and provided a brief overview of the budget, noting that spending is on track. Joe Rich (USDA‑ARS NEA Director) shared updates on ARS activities, including the new organization of ARS research projects. Neha Kothari (National Program Leader for the National Plant Germplasm System, NPGS) reported on NPGS initiatives, including efforts to redefine risk assessment and evaluate factors that influence storage and availability. Jessica Shade outlined current NIFA funding opportunities, encouraged participants to apply, and described updated federal grant oversight. Oscar Hurtado Gonzales discussed the APHIS pome fruit quarantine program. Stakeholders presented updates on their research, emphasizing the need for diverse genetic resources and new pre‑breeding materials that incorporate desirable wild traits into more accessible forms. Curators shared updates on the vegetable, hemp, and fruit collections associated with this project; additional details are provided below. Sara Delheimer led a discussion on impact writing and how NE9 collaborators can better frame their collective work, with plans for ongoing discussions ahead of the 2028 project renewal. The annual meeting also included facility and farm tours for participants.

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) in Geneva, NY maintains major collections of fruit and vegetable crops, including 12,801 vegetable accessions, 743 hemp accessions, and 6,521 fruit accessions. Over the past year, targeted acquisitions helped fill phenotypic, genotypic, and geographic gaps, enriching the resources available to researchers and stakeholders. Support from NE9 remains essential for maintaining, curating, and distributing these collections. NE9 provides germplasm for screening and mapping high‑priority horticultural and agronomic traits such as disease and pest resistance, profitability‑related traits, and nutritional attributes. Many activities are performed collaboratively with scientists from State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAESs). In 2025, PGRU supplied 7,432 distinct units—including seeds, cuttings, scions, fruit specimens, and leaf samples—to requestors.

Globally, these collections support the development of new cultivars and research on disease resistance, fruit quality, genetic diversity, and population structure. PGRU scientists continue to characterize germplasm for priority traits to improve accessibility, frequently partnering with collaborators throughout the Northeastern U.S., nationally, and internationally. This year brought major advancements across fruit, hemp, and vegetable genetic resources. The Prunus collection expanded with approximately 40 pre‑breeding lines from Michigan State University and 70 accessions from the National Arboretum representing 17 species, while new sweet cherry plantings in Geneva provided backup security for the national collection. Genotyping of 192 Prunus accessions using Skimseq improved understanding of collection diversity, and collaboration with archaeologists enabled identification of preserved fruit remains from Mount Vernon. Collection‑wide sequencing revealed structural variants—including candidate inversions on chromosome 4 and the X chromosome—linked to seed size and reproductive traits. In hemp, development of the DArTag 3K mid‑density genotyping panel delivered a cost‑effective tool for breeding and characterization, and the newly formed Hemp Crop Germplasm Committee initiated development of a core collection and a Crop Vulnerability Statement. Pollinator efficiency studies progressed through multi‑year, multi‑site trials in winter squash and brassicas, including greenhouse tests with bumble bees. Additional efforts addressed taxonomic uncertainties in the vegetable collections through greenhouse grow‑outs and genome‑scale analyses in collaboration with Cornell University. Greenhouse infrastructure upgrades—including high‑performance LED lighting and improved cooling systems—enhanced environmental control, reduced maintenance needs, and improved regeneration success. Extensive outreach activities further raised awareness of the value of seed and clonal gene banks.

Activities:

• Introduced new Prunus germplasm, including ~ 40 pre-breeding lines from Michigan State University, and 70 accessions from the National Arboretum representing 17 species.
• Additional sweet cherries were established in Geneva, NY as part of a backup effort with the USDA Prunus collection in Davis, CA.
• Genotyping of 192 Prunus accessions using Skimseq.
• Collaborated with archeologists to evaluate and identify preserve fruit specimens found at Mount Vernon in Virginia.
• Participated in numerous public outreach events highlighting the mission, and the value of seed and clonal gene banks.
• Collection‑wide sequencing analysis is revealing structural variants, including candidate inversions on chromosome 4 and the X chromosome, that may influence seed size and other reproductive traits. These findings are currently being validated and prepared for publication.
• The DArTag 3K mid‑density hemp genotyping panel, developed using NPGS germplasm and novel microhaplotypes, is now available through Breeding Insight and provides a cost‑effective tool for breeding, germplasm characterization, and diversity studies.
• The newly established Hemp CGC convened twice in 2026, launched development of a hemp core collection and Crop Vulnerability Statement, and created a formal stakeholder structure for guiding acquisitions, characterization priorities, and long‑term conservation strategies.
• Multi‑year trials comparing pollinator species in winter squash and brassicas are underway to inform cost‑effective pollinator management, including new tests evaluating the practicality of using bumble bees for greenhouse regenerations.
• Greenhouse grow‑outs and collaborations with Cornell University are helping resolve incomplete or incorrect taxonomic identities, supported by whole‑genome genotyping and systematic documentation of phenotypes and images.
• Upgrades to lighting and cooling systems, including installation of high‑performance LEDs and improved climate controls, have enhanced greenhouse performance while reducing maintenance needs.

Milestones for 2027:

• Regenerate seed for 150 vegetable accessions.
• Backup up 100 vegetable and hemp accessions at NLGRP.
• Rescue 50 jeopardized vegetable accession in greenhouse regeneration.
• Continue to refine regeneration protocols of seed crops.
• Improve soil and assess onion bulb production.
• Develop parents for hemp MAGIC populations with collaborators.
• Regenerate 25 hemp accessions in controlled-environment conditions.
• Upload 10,000 phenotypic data points to describe hemp germplasm collection.
• Acquired over 20 novel hemp genetic resources.
• Backup of clonal accessions and test viability of cryo-treated buds.
• Evaluate apple nursery for rootstock compatibility.
• Retrain vines to enable mechanical foliar management.
• Re-evaluate apple cultivars for fruit quality.
• Complete evaluation of 480 accessions for grape juice metabolites.
• Complete disease phenotypes of powdery and downy mildews in grapevine.

Carey, S.B., Bentz, P.C., Lovell, J.T., Akozbek, L.M., Myers, Z.A., Korani, W., Havill, J.S., Padgitt-Cobb, L., Lynch, R.C., Allsing, N., Mangels, J., Stansell, Z., Stack, G.M., Gordon, T., Osmanski, A., Easterling, K.A., Orozco, L.R., Marcus, Z.E., Hale, H., McCoy, H., Meharg, Z., Grimwood, J., Smart, L.B., Vergara, D., Guerrero, R.F., Kane, N.C., Fletcher, R., McKay, J.K., Michael, T.P., Muehlbauer, G.J., Clevenger, J., Harkess, A. (2026). An X-linked sex determination mechanism in cannabis and hop. Nature Communications, 17, 6866. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73233-7

Gordon, T., Stansell, Z. (2026). Hemp seed counting and morphometric analysis method comparison. The Plant Phenome Journal, 9, e70069. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppj2.70069

Herniter IA, Galarneau ER, Gutierrez B, Cadle-Davidson L, Zou C, Sun Q, Zhong G-Y, Gouker FE (2026) Population Analysis of the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Vitis Repository with rhAmpSeq Markers. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS05569-25

Herrmann, T.Q., Cox, K., Gordon, T., Stansell, Z., Cadle-Davidson, L., Underhill, A., Ackerman, A., Beil, C., Sheehan, M.J., Smart, C.D. (2026). Evaluation of downy mildew resistance in the USDA Hemp Germplasm Repository using high-throughput and traditional phenotyping methods. *Plant Disease*. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-25-1916-RE

Mansfeld BN, Migicovsky Z, Brock J, Hewens-Higgins B, Burchard E, Yocca A, Ou S, Whitt L, Dhingra A, Harkess A, Gutierrez B, Nocker S, Tang L, Gottschalk C (2026) New genomic resources and local adaptation GWAS in wild Malus angustifolia reveal genetic regions for enhancing abiotic resiliency in apple. Hortic Res :uhag336. https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhag336

Schwartz, J.A., Vignale, L., Gordon, T., Stansell, Z., Smart, L.B., Smart, C.D. (2026). Screening of Cannabis sativa germplasm for susceptibility to Septoria leaf spot. Plant Disease, 110, 1750–1756. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1367-RE

Wilkerson, D.G., Stack, G.M., Carlson, C.H., Quade, M.A., Dowling, C.A., Toth, J.A., Murdock, M.J., Jasinski, J., Stansell, Z.J., McKay, J.K., Smart, L.B. (2026). CannSelect: A high-quality genotyping platform for Cannabis sativa. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.18.745408