Clemson researchers share in $14 million USDA grant for fruit crop research | Checkbiotech

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	View Edit Domain: GreenBio Title: * Body: CLEMSON — Clemson University plant scientists are part of the largest USDA grant awarded to improve fruit crops. Federal officials and stakeholders provided $14.4 million for RosBREED. The project seeks to revolutionize the translation of DNA-based information into practical applications for crops in the important botanical family Rosaceae, or rose family. <br /> <br /> After grasses and peas, Rosaceae is thought to be the third most economically important crop plant family. It includes apples, pears, almonds, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cut roses.<br /> <br /> The Specialty Crop Research Initiative project will run four years and involve scientists from 11 U.S. institutions, including land grant universities and USDA labs, along with six international partners from the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, France and the United Kingdom.<br /> <br /> “Being a peach breeder and part of the RosBREED team is very exciting,” said Clemson researcher Ksenija Gasic. “RosBREED focuses on bridging a gap between genetics and genomics technologies and their practical application in breeding programs with the ultimate goal of delivering fruit that is desirable by consumers and more profitable for fruit growers. It’s all about delivering the best product to the final consumer using the latest techniques guided by stakeholders’ needs and consumer preferences.”<br /> <br /> Clemson will receive $400,000, with half from Michigan State University, the grant administrator, and the other half from non-federal sources.<br /> <br /> “Clemson’s funding share will help address critical issues in development of improved peach cultivars suitable for southern growing conditions and train the next generation of peach breeders in combining traditional breeding techniques with DNA-based tools,” said Gasic.<br /> <br /> Greg Reighard, professor of horticulture at Clemson, is an international authority on fruit-tree genetics and peach rootstocks.<br /> <br /> “Applying these molecular technologies to field breeding provides a faster and more efficient means to incorporate disease resistance and desirable or novel fruit-quality traits without genetically modified organisms or needing hundreds of acres of land for field screening of crosses.”<br /> <br /> RosBREED also involves significant educational and outreach activities. As a so-called Coordinated Agricultural Project, it is mandated by the USDA to promote collaboration; open communication and exchange of information; reduce duplication of effort; and coordinate activities among individuals, institutions, states and regions.<br /> <br /> Copyright © 2009 Clemson University, Clemson, SC. All Rights Reserved.<br /> Captcha: Please Enter Code : * Time Zone: * Select the time zone Vocabularies Newsletter: Domain: Show summary in full view Input format Filtered HTML Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Full HTML Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. news_filter Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. More information about formatting options			Related Articles More GMO crop propagation seen Scientists Refute Claim That Genetically Modified Corn Cause... Demand to grow for canola oil Improving Crops from the Roots Up Agriculture biotech increases at RTP New study reignites debate over GMO safety Unseen harvest of gene war on billion-dollar pest Scientists Find Structure of Gene-Editing Protein New study reignites debate over GMO safety Dow AgroSciences, BioDuro to Collaborate on Crop Protection ... Top GreenBio Articles

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