Breeding crops tailored for the future

Food crops are constantly under attack by plant diseases and pests that result in losses in crop quantity and quality. Declines in crop health can lead to food waste and threaten global food security. Land-grant universities are breeding plants that are resistant to pests and disease for greater resilience and sustainability.

Here are a few examples of that work:

• Researchers in Pennsylvania gathered data from 67 countries on losses sustained by five major food crops: rice, wheat, maize, soybean and potato. The data can be used to develop disease- and pest-resistant crop varieties.
  _{Pennsylvania State University; project supported by Hatch funds. See full statement.}
  
  
• Extension scientists in New York are breeding strawberries, raspberries and blackberries that can
  be grown in cold climates. Dickens strawberry and Crimson Treasure raspberry are now being grown commercially.
  _{Cornell University; project supported by Smith-Lever (3b&c) funds. See full statement.}
  
  
• Scientists in Washington are developing new quinoa varieties with improved heat tolerance.
  _{Washington State University; project supported by USDA Competitive Grant and Hatch funds. See full statement.}
  
  
• Over the past five years, Georgia breeders have released seven soybean cultivars and six soybean germplasm selected for disease and insect resistance and other key agronomic traits.
  _{University of Georgia; project supported by Hatch funds. See full statement.}
  
  
• An Alabama research team is selecting water-saver peanut cultivars that can be tailored to produce higher yields under different environments in the Southeast.
  _{Auburn University; project supported by USDA Competitive Grant funds. See full statement.}
  
  
• In New Mexico, scientists have been evaluating table and wine grapes since 2007 with plantings of hybrid and Vitis vinifera entries to assess adaptability and marketability of the grapes at a high elevation. The work informs site-specific varietal recommendations for vineyards facing high frost risk in low-lying river valleys, and viniferous cultivars for irrigated upland mesa sites.
  _{New Mexico State University; project supported by Hatch funds. See full statement.}
  
  
• In New Hampshire, a rigorous breeding program for Tartary buckwheat could enhance regional food security and provide economic opportunities for local farmers.
  _{University of New Hampshire; project supported by Hatch Multistate funds. See full statement.}

Novel corn line is health food for chicken

Poultry producers are seeking alternatives to antibiotics to treat chicken illnesses. Pennsylvania scientists developed a hybrid line of high-flavonoid corn called PennHFD. Birds fed a PennHFD diet had 48% less intestinal lesions, higher weight gain, better feed-conversion ratio and a 23% lower mortality rate than the control.
_{Pennsylvania State University; supported by Hatch funding. See full statement.}

Photo courtesy USDA.