A group of UF scientists have partnered with other scientists from more than a dozen universities to improve the quality of fruit.
In the fall 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture disbursed the first installment of a five-year, $10 million grant to the research project dedicated to the improvement of fruits, including strawberries, blackberries and peaches.
The 35 scientists working on the research initiative are growing disease-resistant fruits. They are modifying DNA to prevent viruses and improve the quality of the fruits.
“Growers spend a lot of money using different means to protect their plants from diseases, including spraying either organic or conventional pesticides or using other measures,” said Vance Whitaker, the leader of the UF strawberry breeding program. “We’re trying to combine the disease resistance that the growers really need with the fruit quality that people really want in the produce that they buy.”
UF is using the grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative to create a database where anyone can access the information.
Kathryn Stofer, a UF research assistant professor with the agricultural education and communication department, said the database will allow scientists to communicate with broader audiences who may have different perspectives.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 10/31/2014]
