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Subject: Viticulture and Small Fruits clear filter
Tuesday, July 29
 

11:00am CDT

Viticulture and Small Fruits Interest Group Business Meeting
Tuesday July 29, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Foster 2
Open to all attendees.


Tuesday July 29, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Foster 2
  Meetings Committee/Division/Interest Groups

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Advancing American Elderberry: Developing Innovative Value Added Products
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subspecies canadensis) is native to much of North America. The fruit are soft, small, intensely purple drupes, containing three to five seeds. Berries exhibit some anti-viral properties and were found to slow the progression of dementia in animal studies. European elderberries (Sambucus nigra subspecies nigra) have long been used to make phytochemical-rich value-added products, in contrast to the underutilized American subspecies. American elderberry offers potential for products with more color stability as the berries have more cyanidin-3-sambuboside-5-glucoside and acylated anthocyanins than European elderberry. Developing innovative, cost effective, concentrated and portable products such as powders are desired for creating value added products. Successful microencapsulation of elderberry into powders was achieved by spray drying elderberry juice or pomace extract with soy protein isolate or tapioca starch as drying carriers. Anthocyanin profiles in the encapsulated powders were similar to those in juice but concentration was increased by 3-fold. Acylated anthocyanins made up 77% and cyanidin-3-sambuboside-5-glucoside, 17% of the total anthocyanins. Flavonoids delivered in powders encapsulated with soy protein concentrate were doubled in bioaccessibility compared to juice. Fermentation of juice with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast decreased soluble sugars and increased spray drying efficiency 20-25%. Fermented elderberry juice spray dried with pea protein or yeast as drying carriers showed increased phenolic content and bioaccessibility. This production strategy offers an efficient way to deliver stable, phytochemically enriched, value-added products from American elderberry for multiple food applications.
Speakers
avatar for Penelope Perkins-Veazie

Penelope Perkins-Veazie

Professor, NCSU
Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD, is a horticulture professor at the Plants for Human Health Institute. She studies postharvest physiology, which evaluates the best ways to keep fruits and vegetables edible after harvest. Her work includes measuring phytochemicals in produce at various... Read More →
Co-authors
AT

Andrew Thomas

University of Missouri
NA
FM
JX

Jia Xiong

North Carolina State University
NA
KR

Karisma Ravichandran

University of Missouri
NA
KK

Kiruba Krishnaswamy

University of Missouri
NA
MM
MA
MG
MG

Michael Greenlief

University of Missouri
NA
RS
RH
SS

S Silva

NCSU
NA
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source USDA-NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative Award number 2021-51181-35860
  • Funding Option SCRI funded all or part of the research associated with this abstract

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Advancing Texas Horticulture: Bridging History and Innovation in Horticultural Crop Physiology at Texas A&M
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Texas has a strong history in fruit crop production, supported by its range of climates, soil types, and a long record of innovation. Grape growing began in the 1600s with Spanish missionaries and became globally important thanks to T.V. Munson, a horticulturist from Denison, Texas. His work in rootstock breeding helped save European vineyards during the phylloxera crisis. Today, Texas is a major producer of grapes, as well as pecans, peaches, citrus, and many small fruits. These crops all face challenges related to extreme weather events, soil conditions, and long-term sustainability. To help address these issues, the Horticultural Crop Physiology program at Texas A
Speakers
avatar for Lorenzo Rossi

Lorenzo Rossi

Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
Dr. Rossi’s research program focuses on understanding the responses of horticultural crops to environmental stresses, with the goal of developing environmentally sound and effective management strategies. He is a horticulturist with expertise in plant stress physiology, plant biology... Read More →
Co-authors
GN
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Growth and Yield Response of Two Native Aronia Species Grown in Different Ecoregions
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Aronia berry, also known as chokeberry, are rich in antioxidants that promote cardiovascular health, immune function and overall well-being. Beyond their nutritional benefits, they also serve as attractive ornamental landscape plants, providing wildlife provisioning and contributing to ecosystem services. However, not much is currently known about the plant growth and fruit quality of aronia berry in the southeastern US, and how different regions may affect plant growth characteristics. The main objective of this study was to establish plantings in two locations in Georgia and assess native aronia species for plant growth and fruit quality characteristics. The growth and yield of two native species, black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), were assessed during the 2024 growing season at two agroecological regions in Georgia: Blairsville (Zone 7a, Blue Ridge region) and Griffin (Zone 8a, Piedmont region). Field plots, consisting of three-year-old plants, were established at both locations in 2021. Plant measurements included: growth index, stem diameter at 100 cm height, yield (kg), berry size of the equator (mm), berry weight (g), dry berry weight (g), total soluble solids (°Brix), pH, and total titratable acidity (%TTA). Black chokeberry exhibited significantly higher values (p ≤0.05) for growth and yield in Blairsville than in Griffin. Total soluble solids were not different across locations. Similarly, red chokeberry had higher growth index, stem diameter, and yield in Blairsville, yet location had no effect on berry weight. Individual berry size was not affected by location for both black and red chokeberry. These findings suggest that even within adjacent eco-regions, aronia species show different growth and berry production, and that plants grown in northern regions exhibit larger size and bear more berries. This has implications for ornamental landscapes and restoration habitat practices. This work will be used as part of a larger work to examine the potential of aronia as an alternative fruit crop in the southeast.
Speakers
TA

Taiwo Addesyian

University of Georgia
NA
Co-authors
LL

Leynar Leyton

University of Florida
RI

Rachel Itle

University of Georgia
NA
SP

Svoboda Pennisi

University of Georgia
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Harvesting Sunlight Twice: Integrating Strawberries into Agrivoltaic Systems
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
The integration of solar energy production with agriculture, known as agrivoltaics, presents a promising solution to address land-use competition while boosting perennial crop productivity. This study evaluated the feasibility and impact of agrivoltaic systems on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) production in Iowa. The objectives included assessing plant growth, fruit yield and quality, microclimatic modifications, and economic viability under photovoltaic (PV) panel shading. We hypothesized that partial shading from PV panels would mitigate heat stress, reduce water demand, and enhance fruit quality without significantly compromising yield. A replicated field trial of two June-bearing strawberry cultivars in 2024 and 2025 compared plants under a standard rotating 5-ft PV configuration with traditional open-field production. Environmental parameters such as light intensity and temperature were monitored to quantify microclimatic changes. Additionally, plant physiological responses and post-harvest disease incidence were analyzed. Future economic assessments will determine profitability and trade-offs associated with energy co-production. Findings from this research informed best management practices for integrating agrivoltaics in specialty crop production, particularly in temperate regions. In 2024, berries were larger in weight and size under the panels compared to the open-field plots. Post-harvest assessment indicated that the increase in size did not correlate with a reduced shelf life. Overall, this study found a favorable effect of intermittent shading on strawberry production in the Midwest.
Speakers
LA

Laith Alomari

Iowa State University
NA
Co-authors
BD

Brooke Dietsch

Iowa State University
NA
SS

Suzanne Slack

Iowa State University
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Strawberries That Last: Smarter Nutrition and Longer Seasons for Small Farms on the Delmarva
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
This study presents the outcomes of the NE-SARE Professional Development Program, which was designed to enhance the capacity of farmers and agricultural service providers in the area of nutrition management for June Bearer (JB) and Day Neutral Strawberry (DNS) cultivars. Through seven targeted workshops including the UMES Small Farm Conference and the NE-SARE workshop on fertilizer strategies participants gained practical skills in fertilizer injector use, dose calculations, and the benefits of liquid vs. granular fertilizers. A total of 87 participants attended, with 82 identifying as Black and 46 as women. Key innovations included the distribution of over $7,000 worth of strawberry plants, overcoming access barriers for small-scale and BIPOC growers. Educational sessions transformed participant confidence, with post-survey data showing a shift from 40% reporting "no knowledge" to 70% achieving "advanced" proficiency in nutrition management. Participants reported the ability to perform fertilization calculations, use injectors, and understand fertilizer types. These workshops promoted sustainable practices by encouraging injector-based applications to reduce nutrient loss and pollution. This initiative not only advanced technical knowledge but also equipped growers to make environmentally sound, cost-effective decisions tailored to their operations. The outcomes reveal increased regional engagement and strengthened capacity among underserved farmers, empowering them to adopt sustainable techniques in strawberry cultivation on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Speakers
ND

Naveen Dixit

University of MD Eastern Shore
NA
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Tracking Pine Bark Decomposition in the Southern Highbush Blueberry Rhizosphere
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Growing southern highbush blueberries (SHB, Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids) in Florida’s sandy soils presents significant challenges due to their low water retention and limited fertility. Milled pine bark is a widely used soil amendment for SHB cultivation, as it enhances moisture retention, nutrient-holding capacity, soil structure, and maintains an optimal pH (approximately 4.0–5.0) for the crop. However, the physical and chemical characteristics of pine bark, particularly its decomposition dynamics within the SHB rhizosphere, remain poorly understood. This study investigates how pine bark decomposition affects SHB plant growth and productivity. SHB cultivars ‘Optimus’ and ‘Farthing’ were grown in raised beds amended with either aged or fresh pine bark. Plants were irrigated and fertigated via a drip system following commercial production practices. Beginning in June 2024, we measured plant volume, vertically projected leaf area, leaf nutrient concentrations, and yield. In addition, soil and pine bark samples were collected and analyzed. Our findings indicate that plants grown in aged pine bark produced greater above-ground biomass and exhibited higher macronutrient concentrations than those grown in fresh pine bark. The carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio differed between treatments at the start of the experiment, but fresh pine bark has changed more than aged pine bark since the start of the experiment. These results suggest that fresh pine bark may immobilize nutrients in the SHB rhizosphere, limiting plant growth. A deeper understanding of pine bark decomposition in SHB farms will support the development of sustainable fertilization strategies and improve long-term plant health and productivity.
Speakers
PL

Paige Larsen

University of Florida
NA
Co-authors
GN

Gerardo Nunez

University of Florida
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Office of Agricultural Water Policy (Contract # 29958)

1:00pm CDT

VSF 1 - Understanding the Spatial and Temporal Regulation of Ripening in Blueberries
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Blueberries (Vaccinium species) belong to the Ericaceae family and are recognized for their antioxidant content and associated health-promoting properties. A key challenge in blueberry production is their asynchronous ripening with fruits on the same plant often maturing at different times. This leads to multiple harvests, increased production costs, and reduced overall fruit quality. Fruit ripening is a coordinated process wherein there is an increase in sugar concentration, decrease in acidity and accumulation of pigments such as anthocyanins. Blueberry fruit are classified as exhibiting atypical ripening behavior with an increase in respiration and ethylene during ripening. However, ethylene production is not autocatalytic and is under developmental regulation. Previous work from blueberry and other fruits have suggested a role of other hormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), auxin and jasmonates in fruit ripening. In this study, the cultivar Powderblue (Vaccinium ashei) was used to characterize the progression of ripening across multiple tissue types and developmental stages by examining the expression of key ripening-related genes. Fruits were harvested at five developmental stages including ripening. Ethylene was measured from these fruits to identify the stages that coincided with ripening initiation. For each stage, 9 tissue types were collected via dissection to obtain spatial resolution. RNA will be extracted from these tissues for qRT-PCR analyses to determine the expression of a focused-set of ripening related genes. For this study, a total of 37 genes were selected based on a previous RNA-Sequencing study that displayed a differential pattern in their transcript abundance during ripening. A subset of these genes is related to sugar, acid, anthocyanin, phenylpropanoid, photosynthesis, and cell wall metabolism. Further genes related to phytohormone metabolism related to ethylene, ABA, auxin, and jasmonates were included. Also, genes belonging to the NAC and MADS-box family of transcription factors were included. Based on the gene expression analysis, hormones including ABA, auxin and jasmonates will be quantified from a subset of these samples. This study will provide insights into the spatial context of molecular and hormone regulation. The knowledge from this study may help breeding programs aimed at developing cultivars exhibiting synchronous ripening, and the potential development of growth regulators to control ripening in the field.
Speakers
AS

Ashley Sorrow

University of Georgia
Co-authors
AM

Anish Malladi

University of Georgia
RS

Ranveer Singh

University of Georgia
NA
SN

Savithri Nambeesan

University of Georgia
Tuesday July 29, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1
 
Wednesday, July 30
 

8:00am CDT

Managing Heat Stress: Impacts on Fruit Yield and Quality, and Strategies for Mitigation (Interest Group Session)
Wednesday July 30, 2025 8:00am - 10:00am CDT
Strand 10
This session is being co-sponsored by Viticulture and Small Fruits (VSF) and American Pomological Society (APS)

As climate conditions continue to shift, heat stress poses a significant challenge to fruit production, affecting both yield and quality. This session will explore the physiological and biochemical responses of fruit crops to extreme temperatures, highlighting the key impacts on growth, composition, and overall marketability. Experts will discuss innovative mitigation strategies, including vineyard, berry, and orchard management techniques aimed at reducing heat stress impacts. Attendees will gain insights into practical, science-based approaches to safeguard fruit production in the face of increasing heat stress.

Speakers:
  • Lee Kalcsits Associate Professor, Tree Fruit Physiology Endowed Chair of Tree Fruit Environmental Physiology and Management Programmatic Lead, Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center Washington State University, Department of Horticulture 
  • Lisa Wasko DeVetter Associate Professor, Small Fruit Horticulture Department of Horticulture College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Washington State University NWREC
  •  Everett P. Layton Ashmore, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Researcher Department of Viticulture and Enology College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Dave Bryla Research Horticulturist USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit, Corvallis, OR
Wednesday July 30, 2025 8:00am - 10:00am CDT
Strand 10
  Interest Group Session

9:44am CDT

VSF 1 - Oral Session
Wednesday July 30, 2025 9:44am - 9:45am CDT
Foster 1
Presiding/Moderator
DB
Wednesday July 30, 2025 9:44am - 9:45am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

9:45am CDT

VSF 1 - Evaluating drought tolerance of southern highbush and rabbiteye blueberries
Wednesday July 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am CDT
Foster 1
Blueberries (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus) are prone to drought due to their shallow root system and limited ability to uptake water from the soil. Previous research has shown rabbiteye (Vaccinium virgatum) blueberries to be more tolerant than highbush varieties (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) to abiotic stresses. However, little is known about their response to drought and whether there are ecotype- or cultivar-specific responses. In order to breed for more drought-tolerant cultivars, this study aims to identify drought tolerant mechanisms within existing cultivars of both southern highbush (SHB) and rabbiteye (RE) blueberries. We evaluated seven cultivars of southern highbush and rabbiteye blueberry for physiological response and fruit quality characteristics under water deficit and recovery across two consecutive years. Overall, drought was found to decrease photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, electron transport rate, leaf relative water content, specific leaf area, chlorophyll content, maximum rate of Rubisco carboxylation (Vcmax) and maximum rate of RuBP regeneration (Jmax). Additionally, drought treatment was found to significantly decrease yield and average berry weight while increasing total soluble solids and berry firmness. Misty (SHB) was identified as the most drought tolerant cultivar due to maintenance of CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, and yield under drought conditions across both years, while Suziblue (SHB), Powderblue (RE), and Vernon (RE) were found to be more sensitive to water deficit. Star (SHB) was tolerant of drought in the short term but performed worse under repeated drought events.
Speakers
SB

Savannah Busby

Auburn University
Co-authors
AS

Alvaro Sanz Saez

Auburn University
NA
CL

Courtney Leisner

Virginia Tech
NA
SH

Sajid Hanif

Auburn University
NA
SR

Sushan Ru

Auburn University
TR

Tanzeel Rehman

Auburn University
NA
Wednesday July 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

10:00am CDT

VSF 1 - Water Requirements for Establishing a New Planting of Northern Highbush Blueberry in Western Oregon
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:00am - 10:15am CDT
Foster 1
Regional recommendations for blueberry irrigation exist, but few studies report the actual amount of water needed. The goal of this multiyear project was to determine the water requirements for growing northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Weighing lysimeters were used to measure crop evapotranspiration (ETc) of three cultivars with various ripening seasons, including ‘Duke’ (early season), ‘Top Shelf’ (mid-season), and ‘Aurora’ (late season). Each lysimeter was constructed from steel and included a large soil tank (1.5-m wide × 0.9-m long × 1.0-m deep) positioned on four hermetically sealed, shear-beam load cells, housed inside an underground chamber. Plants were spaced 0.9 × 3.0 m apart in the lysimeters (one plant/lysimeter) and surrounding field (0.4 ha) and managed using standard industry practices, including raised planting beds mulched with Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) sawdust, grass alleyways between the beds, irrigation with two lines of drip tubing per row, and fertigation with nitrogen and other nutrients as needed. During the first year after planting, ETc totaled 94–104 mm, depending on the cultivar, or 18–19% of total potential evapotranspiration (ETo) from initiation of the measurements on 1 June to when irrigation was turned off for the season on 23 September 2023. That year, crop coefficients (Kc), calculated by dividing ETc by ETo obtained from a nearby agricultural weather station, averaged 0.11, 0.15, 0.27, and 0.41 each month from June through September, respectively. The following year, the plants were lightly cropped (0.2–0.8 kg of marketable fruit per plant), and ETc totaled 175–343 mm, or 30–59% of total ETo. At that point, Kc averaged 0.31, 0.34, 0.45, 0.61, and 0.61 each month from 14 May to 30 September, which was the entire timeframe in which the plants were irrigated. This project is ongoing and will continue until the plants reach full production. Once the study is finished, a set of seasonal Kc curves will be developed for each cultivar and uploaded to regional websites called AgriMet and AgWeatherNet, where they will be used to automatically calculate irrigation water requirements using meteorological data from local weather stations.
Speakers
DB
Co-authors
CS

Camilo Souto

Universidad de Concepción
NA
SO

Scott Orr

USDA
NA
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:00am - 10:15am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

10:15am CDT

VSF 1 - Investigating Humic Acid for the Recovery of Blueberry Fields after Hurricane Helene
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:15am - 10:30am CDT
Foster 1
The southeastern United States is a major producer of blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum), however extreme weather events pose significant threats to blueberry production. On September 24, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Georgia, causing substantial damage to commercial blueberry fields, including uprooted or leaning plants, broken branches, and defoliation. Our project examines the effectiveness of staking leaning plants and humic acid application to enhance the recovery of blueberry plants after hurricane damage. Trials were conducted in five commercial sites with three different cultivars: ‘Farthing’, ‘Legacy’, and ‘Optimus’. Treatments included staking of leaning plants and the application of humic acid alone or in combination. Plant physiological responses were assessed using SPAD (chlorophyll content), leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll fluorescence, and stomatal conductance (Gsw). Preliminary data indicate that staking leaning plants improved light interception, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency in damaged blueberries. The application of humic acid did not result in enhanced plant recovery beyond staking alone. Root and canopy assessments are ongoing and will help determine whether the practice of staking damaged plants and the incorporation of humic acid contributes to long-term plant recovery. Our study will help blueberry producers implement evidence-based strategies to increase the resilience of blueberry fields following extreme weather events.
Speakers
FR

Federica Rossi

University of Georgia
Co-authors
AG

Amit Godara

The University of Georgia
NA
FB

Fabian Bismarck Reyes Rivas

University of Georgia
NA
LP

Luan P de Oliveira

University of Georgia
MT

Maria Theodorakopoulou

University of Georgia
NA
VA

Vinicius Araujo

University of Georgia
NA
ZR

Zilfina Rubio

University of Georgia
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:15am - 10:30am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

10:30am CDT

VSF 1 - Drip Irrigation Strategies for Improved Blueberry Production in Substrate
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:30am - 10:45am CDT
Foster 1
Substrate production in pots has emerged as a popular method for growing highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). However, there is limited knowledge on the best strategies for irrigation in substrate. To address this issue, a multiyear study was conducted in a retractable-roof greenhouse using ‘Legacy’ blueberry to determine an optimal combination of drip emitters (two, four, or eight emitters per pot) and irrigation set point (-2 or -4 kPa) and frequency (a single continuous pulse of up to 45 minutes or short 3-minute pulses every 15 minutes to reach container capacity). The plants were grown in 25-L pots filled with a mix of peat, coir, and perlite. Tensiometers were installed horizontally into the center of the pots to monitor the matric potential and to determine when to trigger irrigation. Irrigation was triggered automatically using a data logger and applied until the pots reached container capacity determined by small weighing lysimeters. Yield was highest in plants with eight emitters in the second year (first year of fruit production), but this difference diminished in year 3. A similar relationship was observed for aboveground biomass. Root size was also highest with eight emitters. Leachate pH and EC were mostly similar among treatments, but EC was more uniform throughout the pot with eight emitters. In contrast, the lower set point and shorter irrigation frequency decreased the ability of the pots to reach container capacity, particularly when the plants were irrigated with only two emitters per pot. Overall, the plants grew best when irrigation was triggered at -2 kPa and applied in single continuous pulses with four or eight emitters per pot.
Speakers
SO

Scott Orr

Oregon State University
Co-authors
CS

Camilo Souto

Universidad de Concepción
NA
CB

Cora Bobo-Shisler

Oregon State University
NA
DB
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:30am - 10:45am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1

10:30am CDT

Come work with Driscoll's Global R&D Team
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am CDT
Hort Theater
Come to the Hort Theater to hear about exciting job opportunities with Driscoll’s, the global leader in fresh market berries! You’ll hear an overview of our business operations and locations as well as the types of roles we hire for and what we look for in prospective candidates. You may even hear a few tips and tricks to help get your application noticed that you can use with us – or other prospective employers. Please join for an informal presentation and short Q&A session.
Speakers
avatar for Logan McCollum

Logan McCollum

Driscoll's
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am CDT
Hort Theater
  Hort Theater & Collaboration Center, Hort Theater

10:45am CDT

VSF 1 - Dissecting the Flower Bud Initiation and Dormancy Responses of Everbearing Blueberry Genotypes
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:45am - 11:00am CDT
Foster 1
Day length and temperature interactively influence flower bud initiation in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids) plants. When days are short and temperatures are low, blueberry plants initiate flower buds rather than vegetative buds. Night interruption and/or warmer temperatures limit flower bud initiation. Once differentiated, flower buds enter endodormancy, restricting reproductive development to specific times of the year. Some genotypes in the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding and Genomics program have been observed to bloom in the middle of the summer under long days and warm temperatures. To investigate this phenomenon, we conducted a controlled-environment experiment to assess flower bud initiation and dormancy responses in a summer-blooming genotype, ‘FL16-64’, compared to the standard southern highbush cultivar ‘Arcadia’. Plants were grown in growth chambers with factorial combinations of temperature and photoperiod treatments. Temperature regimes mimicked Florida field conditions: warm (28 °C day / 20 °C night) and cool (18 °C day / 10 °C night). Photoperiods included short (8 hours), neutral (12 hours), long (16 hours), and interrupted (8 hours 1 hour of night interruption) day lengths. There were 6 plants of each genotype per temperature-photoperiod combination. Results showed that warm temperatures promoted vegetative growth in both genotypes. ‘Arcadia’ developed flower buds primarily under short days and cool temperatures, and these buds entered endodormancy after differentiation. In contrast, ‘FL16-64’ initiated flower buds across all temperature and photoperiod treatments. Moreover, flower bud development was enhanced under warmer temperatures and neutral day lengths. Notably, these buds bypassed dormancy and progressed directly to bloom. These findings indicate that ‘FL16-64’ exhibits day-neutral flower bud initiation and some of its flower buds lack endodormancy, characteristics consistent with an everbearing growth habit. Everbearing blueberry genotypes could be used to produce blueberries during the domestic off season in Florida.
Speakers
GN

Gerardo Nunez

University of Florida
Co-authors
PM

Patricio Munoz

University of Florida
NA
SD

Sarah da Silva Benevenute

University of Florida
NA
Wednesday July 30, 2025 10:45am - 11:00am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 1
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Poster # csv
  • Funding Source Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Contract# 28699)
 
Thursday, July 31
 

7:59am CDT

VSF 2 - Oral Session
Thursday July 31, 2025 7:59am - 8:00am CDT
Foster 1
Presiding/Moderator
PR

Pedro Rojas-Barros

Washington State University
Thursday July 31, 2025 7:59am - 8:00am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

8:00am CDT

VSF 2 - Protecting Raspberries from Extreme Heat: Evaluating Physiological and Yield Responses to Cooling Strategies
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:00am - 8:15am CDT
Foster 1
Extreme heat events threaten raspberry (Rubus ideaus) production in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The aim of this study was to evaluate strategies for reducing heat stress at a field site located in Prosser, Washington. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with four replicates and included three heat mitigation treatments (evaporative cooling with micro-sprinklers, shade cloth, and an untreated control) as main plots and four genotypes (‘Meeker’, ‘WakeField’, WSU 2188, and ORUS 4715-2) as subplots. Across the genotypes, evaporative cooling and shade cloth enhanced photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence and increased yield compared to untreated controls. Shade cloth also resulted in higher stem water potentials than the other mitigation treatments, indicating improved hydration in each genotype. Preliminary economic analyses indicate that shade cloth is more expensive to install than micro-sprinklers for cooling and may interfere with mechanical operations. Evaporative cooling, on the other hand, increases weed pressure, which requires additional management. It also increased postharvest pathogens on the fruit after two weeks of cold storage in ORUS 4715-2. In each case, cooling was run continuously whenever ambient air temperature was > 30°C. Next, we will evaluate whether cooling for 15 minutes every hour is effective and results in fewer weeds and pathogens than continuous cooling.
Speakers
MG

Makonya Givemore Munashe

Washington State University
Co-authors
DB
KG

Karina Gallardo

Washington State University
NA
LW

Lisa Wasko DeVetter

Washington State University
Lisa Wasko DeVetter joined Washington State University in 2014 and leads the small fruit horticulture program at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She has developed a diverse research and extension program with an emphasis on maximizing... Read More →
MH
SG

Suzette Galinato

Washington State University
NA
TP

Troy Peters

Washington State University
NA
WH

Wendy Hoashi-Erhardt

Washington State University
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:00am - 8:15am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

8:15am CDT

VSF 2 - Dormancy and Cold Hardiness of Two Blackberry Cultivars in the Pacific Northwest
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:15am - 8:30am CDT
Foster 1
The blackberry (Rubus spp.) industry in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) has rapidly expanded in recent years due to growers and major berry companies’ capacity to produce high-value fruit for fresh and processing markets. The expansion of the blackberry industry has been further supported by increases in fresh and frozen blackberry consumption. However, revenues and crop expansion in northwest Washington (WA) are limited by freeze events during the winter period that affect fruit production. Freezing temperatures below critical thresholds irreparably damage primary bud meristems. However, little is known about the conditions resulting in freeze damage, as well as the duration of dormancy and time to bud break among key blackberry cultivars. The objective of this study was to evaluate dormancy and cold hardiness of ‘Victoria’ and ‘Celestial’ blackberry floral buds in the PNW. Samples were collected weekly from 15 Oct 2024 to 7 March 2025 from two commercial farms in Skagit County, WA. Sampled laterals were cut into smaller cuttings, each containing one single floral bud, and subjected to either dormancy or cold hardiness evaluations. Samples for the dormancy evaluation were placed in suitable growing conditions (22 C°, 16 h light), and time to bud break was quantified. In parallel, samples for the cold hardiness evaluation were placed into a glycol-bath exposed to 10 freezing temperatures ranging from -4 C° to -20 C°, and a lethal temperature in which 50% of the floral buds were damaged (LT50) was determined through a visual evaluation of damage to the primary meristem. In ‘Victoria’, the maximum bud break rate was observed once canes accumulated over 900 chilling hours (threshold between 0 and 7.2 C°), while ‘Celestial’ required an additional 300 chill units to exhibit similar rates. Regarding cold hardiness, in ‘Victoria’, the LT50 was between -14 and -16 C° through most of the winter season, while the LT50 for ‘Celestial’ fluctuated between -14 and -16 C° during the fall, then between -18 C° and -20 C° during the winter. The higher cold hardiness observed in ‘Celestial’ is attributed to its genetic traits as a semi-erect cultivar rather than environmental factors. The information from this study will be used to develop a decision-support tool for blackberry growers to reduce loss associated with damage from freezing temperatures in the PNW.
Speakers
PR

Pedro Rojas-Barros

Washington State University
Co-authors
CK

Clark Kogan

Washington State University
NA
HP

Heather Pedroza

Washington State University
NA
LW

Lisa Wasko DeVetter

Washington State University
Lisa Wasko DeVetter joined Washington State University in 2014 and leads the small fruit horticulture program at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She has developed a diverse research and extension program with an emphasis on maximizing... Read More →
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:15am - 8:30am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

8:30am CDT

VSF 2 - Effect of Freezing Temperatures on Re-growth and Photosynthetic Mechanisms in ‘Victoria’ Blackberry.
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:30am - 8:45am CDT
Foster 1
Freezing temperatures limit blackberry (Rubus spp.) growers from meeting their full yield potential in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Damage from freezing winter temperatures spans a gradient and ranges from complete mortality to partial damage of floral buds and supporting vascular and structural tissues. Partial damage can permit resumption of plant growth but is poorly characterized. Moreover, understanding the mechanisms contributing to this gradient of damage could lead to novel practices focused on mitigation and recovery. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between freeze damage and floral bud re-growth. Once chill unit accumulation was sufficient, floricane samples of ‘Victoria’ blackberry were collected for five consecutive weeks during late winter from a commercial farm in Skagit County, Washington. Sampled canes were cut into smaller cuttings, each containing one single floral bud, and exposed to freezing temperatures (-4 C°, -6 C°, -8 C°, -10 C°, and -12 C°) in a glycol bath. The freezing temperature treatments were based on historical freezing temperatures in the area over the past decade during the sample collection period. Treated samples were then placed in suitable growing conditions (22 C°, 16 h light), and shoot growth, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and gas exchange were measured after three weeks. Shoot growth was delayed from buds exposed to -8 C°, -10 C°, and -12 C° compared to the untreated control. The delay in re-growth is likely explained by limitations in water transportation to the leaves rather than carbohydrate depletion, considering leaf transpiration and stomatal conductance were significantly lower in treated canes compared to the untreated control, while Fv/Fm and carbon assimilation remained unaffected. Findings from this study demonstrate partial re-growth from freeze-damaged blackberry canes and floral buds, and damage to the xylem is likely responsible for reductions in re-growth.
Speakers
PR

Pedro Rojas-Barros

Washington State University
Co-authors
AF

Ashley Fincham

Washington State University
NA
CK

Clark Kogan

Washington State University
NA
LW

Lisa Wasko DeVetter

Washington State University
Lisa Wasko DeVetter joined Washington State University in 2014 and leads the small fruit horticulture program at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She has developed a diverse research and extension program with an emphasis on maximizing... Read More →
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:30am - 8:45am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

8:45am CDT

VSF 2 - Evaluation of Calcium Fertilization on Yield and Fruit Quality in Three Raspberry Cultivars in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:45am - 9:00am CDT
Foster 1
Calcium (Ca) is an important macronutrient for plant health and fruit quality. Insufficient Ca in fruit tissues can lead to physiological disorders that reduce crop quality. To prevent this, Ca fertilizers are frequently applied to soil or plant canopies to increase Ca concentrations in fruits. However, the role of Ca fertilizers in promoting fruit quality and overall yields is poorly understood in raspberry (Rubus idaeus). The objective of this study was to evaluate methods to increase Ca concentrations in raspberry fruits and leaves and assess impacts on yield and fruit quality. Replicated field trials were conducted in 2023 and 2024 using floricane-fruiting raspberry ‘WakeHaven’ ‘Meeker’, and ‘Kulshan’ in Whatcom County, Washington. Treatments included: 1) soil application of Ca fertilizer (gypsum) applied before budbreak, 2) foliar application of Ca fertilizer (calcium hydroxide) applied weekly during immature green to white fruit stage, and 3) an untreated control with no calcium fertilizer. Neither method of Ca application affected yield, fruit quality, soil Ca levels, or Ca concentrations within primocane leaves and raspberry fruits across cultivars. However, in ripe fruit, the concentration of Ca in the receptacles was more than ten times higher than in the drupelets of each cultivar. Cultivars with higher fruit Ca concentration also had higher Ca concentrations in the receptacle (Adjusted R2 = 0.58). These findings demonstrate the important role of cultivar genetics when it comes to explaining variations in fruit Ca concentrations. Moreover, results from this study show that standard fertilizer practices have no impact on fruit Ca concentrations or other important yield and fruit quality variables. A physiological barrier limiting Ca movement from receptacles to fruits was identified, and future studies should further explore what these barriers are, when they develop, and whether they can be adjusted to increase Ca transport to raspberry fruits.
Speakers
PR

Pedro Rojas-Barros

Washington State University
Co-authors
BM

Brian Maupin

Washington State University - NWREC
NA
DB
LW

Lisa Wasko DeVetter

Washington State University
Lisa Wasko DeVetter joined Washington State University in 2014 and leads the small fruit horticulture program at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She has developed a diverse research and extension program with an emphasis on maximizing... Read More →
MH
SO

Scott Orr

REE - ARS
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 8:45am - 9:00am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

9:00am CDT

VSF 2 - Investigating fruit-surface lenticel development using muscadine (Muscadinia rotundifolia) as a model species
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:00am - 9:15am CDT
Foster 1
The plant epidermis, despite being a single-cell layer, serves diverse roles in regulating organ growth, responding to environmental cues, and mediating gas exchange and water loss. While extensive research has focused on epidermal differentiation in leaves, where stomata and trichomes play critical roles in overall plant physiology, much less is known about epidermal cell fate on fruit surfaces. Many developing fruits initially contain stomata, but as the fruit rapidly expands, these structures face mechanical strain and often rupture. In several species, this process leads to the formation of lenticels, small, permanently open pores that enable continued gas exchange. While lenticels are essential for gas exchange in certain fruit, their presence and morphologies vary widely across species, and the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms involved in their formation remain poorly understood. Muscadine, a grape species native to the southeastern U.S., serves as a valuable model for studying lenticel development due to its prominent lenticel formation. In this study, we investigated the cellular transition from stomata to lenticels in muscadine fruit using light and electron microscopy, revealing key stages in epidermal restructuring. Transcriptomic analysis of one muscadine cultivar across four developmental stages of lenticel formation identified candidate genes that may regulate this process. These findings provide insight into the genetic regulation of lenticel development that can help explain natural variation in lenticel traits observed across different muscadine cultivars and fruit species. Further, by drawing comparisons to periderm formation in woody tissues and wound responses in other fruit, this study highlights potential conserved genetic pathways underlying lenticel development. Understanding these processes can provide insights into the role of lenticels in postharvest physiology and contribute to targeted breeding strategies for improving fruit storability.
Speakers
AB

Alana Brinley

University of Florida
Co-authors
AS

Ali Sarkhosh

University of Florida
NA
TL

Tie Liu

University of Florida
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:00am - 9:15am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

9:15am CDT

VSF 2 - Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Vitis shuttleworthii Populations
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:15am - 9:30am CDT
Foster 1
Vitis shuttleworthii, commonly referred to as callose grape, is a wild grape species endemic to Central and South Florida and serves as a valuable genetic resource for the development of subtropical and tropical scion and rootstock cultivars. V. shuttleworthii can thrive in a humid environment and grows readily in nutrient deficient soils. This species is also resistant to anthracnose, downy mildew, Pierce’s disease and root knot nematodes. This study explores the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among V. shuttleworthii populations sampled from diverse regions across Florida. The overarching objective of the current study is to characterize the extent of natural genetic variation within and among populations and to identify promising genetic sources for resistance to key grapevine diseases. DNA obtained from 72 V. shuttleworthii individuals, along with 25 reference grape accessions, were sequenced using the Illumina platform (2 X 150 bp configuration). We identified over 64 million SNPs from the 97 accessions and 376,753 high-quality SNPs were retained for downstream analysis. Phylogenetic and principal component analyses revealed geographically structured clustering among V. shuttleworthii populations, indicating patterns of local adaptation and evolutionary divergence. The phylogenetic tree delineated clear genetic separation between wild Florida populations and cultivated Vitis species or breeding lines. Principal Component 1 accounted for 61.65% of the variance, while Principal Component 2 explained 9.86% of the variance. This spatial genetic structure suggests significant genetic diversity and restricted gene flow across regions. This study highlights the natural genetic variation present within the V. shuttleworthii population and provides a valuable resource for grape breeding programs.
Speakers
SR

Sheetal Ramekar

University of Florida
NA
Co-authors
DH

Dylan Hacker

University of Florida
NA
MD

Manjul Dutt

University of Florida
SD

Sadanand Dhekney

University of Maryland Eastern Shore
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:15am - 9:30am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

9:30am CDT

VSF 2 - Vineyard Groundcover and Nitrogen Fertility Changes on Plant-Parasitic Nematode Populations and Soil Nutrient Cycling
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:30am - 9:45am CDT
Foster 1
Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are common in perennial cropping systems, particularly where traditional fertility and floor management practices biologically disturb soil ecosystems. Four vineyard floor management treatments were applied to mature ‘Norton’ vines—(1) grower control (mown tall fescue in the aisle with herbicide-treated bare driplines), (2) red fescue (creeping red fescue established throughout aisle and dripline), (3) successional cover crops (annual rotation of cereal rye, oats, and sorghum-sudangrass using no-till planting), and (4) compost (a mix of hardwood mulch and composted winery pomace applied across aisle and dripline)—in combination with two nitrogen fertility regimes: no nitrogen (0 lb N/ac) and N fertilization (20 lb N/ac applied at budbreak, bloom, and veraison (60 lb N/ac total)). The study was conducted on a Hosmer silty-clay loam in southern Illinois, arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Soil samples were analyzed for populations of plant-parasitic nematode genera—including Pratylenchus, Helicotylenchus, Xiphinema, and Longidorus—alongside soil nutrient metrics such as water-extractable potassium (WEK), phosphorus (WEP), and organic carbon (WEOC), as well as percent organic matter (OM), carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N), and soil respiration (CO₂). Results showed that red fescue may act as a host for Pratylenchus, particularly when supported by nitrogen fertilization (236/100cc) in the vineyard dripline, compared to 156/100cc under compost, 204/100cc under successional cover, and 164/100cc in the grower control during the same period. The increase may be attributed to red fescue’s weak, fibrous root system, which lacks the structural defenses of deeper-rooted species and may act as an attractant. Although Pratylenchus have higher damage thresholds, these population densities have the potential to affect grapevine health. In contrast, compost and successional cover treatments suppressed multiple PPN genera while significantly improving nutrient availability. Populations of Xiphinema and Longidorus were reduced by 57–92% under compost and successional treatments with no nitrogen, compared to the control. These treatments also increased WEK by up to 249%, raised WEP, and elevated OM to 2.6%, compared to 2.1% in the control. Soil respiration reached 68.4 kg/ha, and estimated nitrogen release was as high as 62.8 kg/ha, while maintaining stable C:N ratios (~12.5), indicating enhanced nutrient cycling and organic matter mineralization. These findings suggest that biologically diverse vineyard floor management can suppress plant-parasitic nematodes while simultaneously improving soil nutrient relationships. Integrating organic amendments and dynamic cover cropping into vineyard systems offers a strategy to reduce pest pressure, enhance nutrient cycling, and build soil health.
Speakers
AW

Amanda Weidhuner

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Co-authors
BT

Bradley Taylor

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:30am - 9:45am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

9:45am CDT

VSF 2 - Mode of action of a new Seaweed Extract and Amino Acid Based Biostimulant for Abiotic Stress Tolerance
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am CDT
Foster 1
A new biostimulant formulation (APH-1035; alkaline Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract and amino acid, L-phenylalanine) was evaluated in mode of actions studies to understand the contribution of each active ingredient to the effect of the biostimulant. Previous controlled environment studies showed under salinity and drought stress, plants treated with this new biostimulant had an increase in shoot weight and leaf area, and improvements in photosynthetic parameters, showing statistical synergy between the active ingredients. Field trials had similar results with treated plants having an increase foliar and root fresh and dry weight, and yield under drought and salinity stress. An increase in flowers and fruit set was also seen. Controlled environment studies evaluated the potential mode of action of APH-1035 on strawberry under drought stress. Treatments consisted of a non-stressed control, a stressed control, APH -1035, and the individual active ingredients in APH-1035 (seaweed extract, and phenylalanine) at the equivalent concentrations in APH-1035. Leaf tissue samples were collected pre-stress, and two time points post stress, frozen, and RNA extracted, followed by RNASeq, and subsequent data analysis. Plants treated with APH-1035 showed a transcriptional profile more similar to the non-stressed plants than stressed control plants. The individual active profiles were more similar to the stressed control. Transcript abundance increased over time and did not change after prolonged drought stress. In contrast, stressed control plants, showed down regulation of this gene cluster. Correlation analysis resulted in 221 genes whose expression correlated significantly with treatments. Some of these genes are related to photosynthesis and starch metabolism, which can be linked to drought resistance. These results suggest that the novel biostimulant, with the combination of seaweed extract and an amino acid (phenylalanine) influences gene expression within plants to reduce abiotic stress and promote growth and metabolism under stress, and that this response is greater than the individual actives alone.
Speakers
HL

Holly Little

Director, research and development, Acadian Plant Health
Thursday July 31, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

12:30pm CDT

Fruit, Vegetable, and Edible Crops Collaboration Session
Thursday July 31, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Collaboration Center, Empire AB
A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to fruit, vegetable, and edible crops – i.e. citrus, breeding, production systems, postharvest, pomology, crop management, viticulture, etc.
Thursday July 31, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Collaboration Center, Empire AB
  Hort Theater & Collaboration Center, Collaboration Center

1:44pm CDT

VSF 3 - Oral Session
Thursday July 31, 2025 1:44pm - 1:45pm CDT
Foster 1
Presiding/Moderator
HW

Haley Williams

Mississippi State University
Thursday July 31, 2025 1:44pm - 1:45pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

1:45pm CDT

VSF 3 - Impact of Shade Cloth on Gas Exchange and Yield of Strawberry Cultivars Grown in Lubbock, Texas
Thursday July 31, 2025 1:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Foster 1
Due to increasing demand for strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) and their health associated benefits, strawberry production has expanded within the United States. Within Texas, strawberry cultivation remains a minor crop (currently less than 162 ha dedicated to strawberry production). However, the state's vast geographic size and diverse climatic conditions present significant opportunities for expanding strawberry production into traditionally non-producing regions. Despite potential for expanding strawberry production, Texas strawberry growers are faced with a number of production challenges. This study aimed to evaluate effects of different shade levels upon gas exchange and production of two strawberry cultivars, ‘Camino Real’ and ‘Albion’ in Lubbock, Texas. Bare root strawberries were planted Fall of 2021 under three shade treatments: Full sun (no shade), 70% full sun, and 50% full sun. Each treatment was applied to 16 plants of each cultivar, with three replications of each treatment. During fall, winter, and early spring, all plants were grown within low plastic tunnels. During the spring production season shade treatments maintained lower air and soil temperatures when compared to the full sun treatment. Light levels were reduced under shade treatments leading to greater leaf gas exchange rates under full sun growing conditions. Marketable yield and berry number for each plant were greater for 'Camino Real' compared to 'Albion', with 'Camino Real' producing twice the yield. Among shade treatments, the 70% sunlight treatment resulted in the greatest marketable yield and berry number for each plant. The lowest yield and berry number for each plant was observed under full sun conditions. Results suggest the interaction between plant cultivar and sun exposure plays a crucial role in determining strawberry yield and quality. Findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate shade levels and cultivars to optimize strawberry production within demanding environmental conditions.
Speakers
SP

Srijana Panta

Graduate Research Assistant, Texas Tech University
Co-authors
RW

Russ Wallace

TAMU AgriLife Extension
NA
TM

Thayne Montague

Texas Tech University
Thursday July 31, 2025 1:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

2:00pm CDT

VSF 3 - Evaluation of Two Day – Neutral Strawberry Cultivars Grown Hydroponically in a Greenhouse
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
Foster 1
Strawberry cultivation under a hydroponic system in a protected environment can be the key to enhancing off-season production in the U.S. Yet this type of cropping system remains a challenge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of two day-neutral strawberry cultivars, ‘Albion’ and ‘San Andreas’, grown hydroponically in a greenhouse. Photosynthetic activity, growth and development, fruit yield, and quality have been evaluated for three seasons (2022-2025). The study is conducted at the Plant Science Research Center at Auburn, AL. Environmental conditions are recorded every 15 minutes. So far, the results presented the following: ‘Albion’ and ‘San Andreas’ have shown similarities in photosynthetic response with 15.00 µmol m-2s-1 for ‘Albion’ and 16.03 µmol m-2s-1 for ‘San Andreas’. Growth and development showed that plant height did not differ which is 22.2 cm and 23.9 cm ‘Albion’ and ‘San Andreas’, respectively. Leaf area (cm2) for ‘San Andreas’ is higher, 1679.11, than ‘Albion’, 1091.6. Leaves and stem dry weights (g plant-1) is higher for ‘San Andreas’, 12.89 and 6.63 than for ‘Albion’, 8.77 and 4.25, respectively. Flower and fruit dry weights did not differ for both cultivars. ‘San Andreas’ has a significantly higher yield (g plant-1), 21.80 than ‘Albion’, 17.30. Fruit quality varied between cultivars. ‘Albion’ has a higher brix with 9.15 than ‘San Andreas’ with only 7.85, while ‘San Andreas’ is firmer, 1.13 kg cm-1, than ‘Albion’, 1.03 kg cm-1. ‘San Andreas’ has larger fruits than ‘Albion’, 16.63 cm2 and 14.82 cm2, respectively. Thus, it is feasible to produce strawberries under hydroponic systems in a greenhouse.
Speakers
MM

MAVERICK MARIQUIT

Auburn University
I am currently studying in Horticulture as PhD student and at the same time working as a Graduate Research Assistant in Auburn University. My interest lies on the study of fruit crops with a significant focus on fruit growth and development as well as production and physiology (fruit... Read More →
Co-authors
BO

Brenda Ortiz

Auburn University
NA
EC

Elina Coneva

Auburn University
MR

Melba Ruth Salazar Gutierrez

Auburn University
NA
PB

Paul Bartley

Auburn University
NA
PP
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

2:15pm CDT

VSF 3 - Methyl Jasmonate Influences Health Attributes of Hydroponic Strawberries
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
Foster 1
Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is a plant signaling compound known to influence secondary metabolite production, including phenolic compounds and antioxidants. While many studies have shown MeJA’s effects applied to fruit post-harvest, this study aimed to evaluate its effects applied to the foliage and fruit of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Seascape’ and Fragaria × ananassa ‘Ft. Laramie’) before harvest, which has been studied to a lesser extent. The effects were measured by evaluating harvest metrics (number of fruits produced and the total mass of fruit per plant) as well as assays quantifying bioactive compounds related to human health. Strawberries were grown using a deep-water culture (DWC) hydroponics system in a controlled greenhouse environment located in Fargo, North Dakota. Plants were treated with MeJA at varying concentrations (0 mM, 0.25 mM, 0.5 mM, 1 mM) as an aqueous solution, with approximately 15 ml sprayed onto the leaves and developing fruit bi-weekly. Fruit extractions in water and 12% ethanol were analyzed for total soluble phenolics and antioxidant capacity using spectrophotometric assays, while enzyme inhibitory activities were assessed using in vitro biochemical inhibition assays. Results were inconsistent across cultivars with 1 mM MeJA increasing the average mass per fruit by nearly 25% for ‘Ft. Laramie’ plants, with little response and no differences for ‘Seascape’ plants. Bioactive assays produced complicated results, with total soluble phenolics peaking at 0.5 mM MeJA for ‘Seascape’ plants while ‘Ft. Laramie’ plants showed a slightly negative trend of TSP in relation to MeJA concentration for first year plants. Results of antioxidant assays, including ABTS radical inhibition and DPPH radical inhibition will be discussed, as will inhibition of enzymes relating to the management of hypertension and diabetes, including α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin-converting enzyme.
Speakers
MH

Mason Hill

North Dakota State University
Plant Science Master's student at NDSU
Co-authors
HH
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

2:30pm CDT

VSF 3 - Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) yield fluctuations follow a multi-modal Gaussian model
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
Foster 1
Strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) are highly perishable and require intensive labor inputs for harvesting. Therefore, yield forecasting is critical for improving labor management and marketing decision-making in strawberry production. In Florida, United States, strawberry yields during winter months have a unique distribution pattern characterized by multiple waves. We hypothesized that individual yield waves can be described using Gaussian distribution, a model that represents a symmetrical bell-shaped curve. Two short-day cultivars (‘Florida Radiance’ and ‘Florida Brilliance’) and one day-neutral cultivar (‘Florida Beauty’) were grown in west-central Florida. Harvesting was performed 30 times, generally twice a week from November through February. Yield data were converted to weekly values prior to model fitting. The first two yield waves were described by a bimodal Gaussian distribution model, which was then converted into two unimodal Gaussian distribution models. The goodness of fit was very high (R2 = 0.934–0.959) for both yield waves in all tested cultivars. Different yield distribution patterns of the tested cultivars were characterized quantitatively by estimating not only the yield but also the timing and duration of each yield wave. Our modeling approach provides insights into understanding cultivar-dependent fruiting phenology, yielding capacity, and fruit earliness. Such information can help optimize yield distribution through breeding and reduce yield gaps by using different cultivars or staggered planting dates. The model developed here only applies to the first two waves of fruit production. Future research will aim to model the following yield waves to fully characterize the strawberry yield distribution.
Speakers
SA

Shinsuke Agehara

University of Florida
Co-authors
DP

Dante Pinochet

Austral University of Chile
I am Profesoor in Soil Science working in horticultural crops nutrition
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

2:45pm CDT

VSF 3 - Fruit Ripening and Cell Wall Composition in Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) Cultivars With Contrasting Firmness
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:45pm - 3:00pm CDT
Foster 1
Fruit firmness is a critical quality trait that influences both postharvest life and potential commercialization of fruits. In cranberry, fruit firmness is highly correlated with the efficiency of producing higher valuable products such as sweetened and dried cranberries (SDC). As in many fruit crops, cranberry firmness declines during ripening, a process often associated with enzymatic solubilization of cell wall polysaccharide. Calcium (Ca) plays a fundamental role in maintaining cell wall integrity by cross-linking with pectins to form calcium pectates, which strengthen the cell wall and limits its disassembly. The objective of this study was to determine changes in cell wall composition through fruit development in two cranberry cultivars with contrasting fruit firmness. Fruit samples were collected every two weeks from 14 to 91 days after full bloom (DAFB) from cranberry ‘Stevens’ and ‘BG’. External fruit quality traits–such as anthocyanin accumulation, fruit size, and weight– were measured alongside internal fruit quality parameters, including internal structure, cell wall composition, and calcium content. Before fruit color developed, both cultivars were similar in size and firmness; however, ‘Stevens’ had higher fruit elasticity compared to ‘BG’. This difference was attributed to lower pectin solubility in the cell walls of ‘Stevens’. As ripening progressed, notable differences in firmness emerged between the two cultivars, particularly between 84 and 91 DAFB. This divergence was associated with increased solubilization of pectins and hemicellulose. Additionally, solubilization of tightly bound hemicellulose was negatively correlated with Ca content in the fruit cell wall. Differences in cell wall-associated Ca content between cultivars were observed throughout fruit development and may explain the variation in firmness at harvest and after 30 days of storage. These findings suggest that cell wall-bound Ca is an important factor influencing fruit firmness and could serve as a valuable selection parameter in breeding programs. Moreover, understanding these differences may aid cranberry growers in in making informed cultivar selection decisions for their plantings.
Speakers
PR

Pedro Rojas-Barros

Washington State University
Co-authors
AA

Amaya Atucha

University of Wisconsin Madison
BA

Beth Ann Workmaster

University of Wisconsin-Madison
NA
JZ

Juan Zalapa

University of Wisconsin-Madison
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 2:45pm - 3:00pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

3:00pm CDT

VSF 3 - Assessing Olive Cultivation Potential in the Subtropical United States: Insights from Florida Trials
Thursday July 31, 2025 3:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Foster 1
Olive cultivation in Florida has expanded ten-fold over the last decade, with more than 60 growers managing 800 acres across 26 counties. Despite this rapid growth and rising global demand for olive oil, research on cultivar performance and best management practices in Florida remains limited. In summer 2023, data collection began at three research sites: Jay (northwest Florida), Wauchula (southwest Florida), and Fort Pierce (southeast Florida); to evaluate the adaptability and productivity of select olive cultivars under diverse climatic and soil conditions. Due to differences in grove management and tree maturity, cultivar selection varied by site, with ‘Arbequina’ consistently included in all trials. Additional cultivars included ‘Koroneiki’ and ‘Sikitita’ in Wauchula, and ‘Lecciana’ and ‘Sikitita’ in Fort Pierce. Soil nutrients, leaf nutrients, temperature, moisture, and phenological development were monitored biannually. While no nutrient deficiencies were observed, a significant result emerged: ‘Arbequina’ demonstrated superior adaptability across all three sites, showing higher survival rates and more uniform vegetative growth compared to other cultivars. However, flowering and fruit production patterns remain inconsistent, likely due to climatic variability and limited chilling hours. These findings suggest that ‘Arbequina’ may be viable for Florida conditions, but further data are needed to fully assess yield potential and long-term economic feasibility.
Speakers
avatar for Lorenzo Rossi

Lorenzo Rossi

Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
Dr. Rossi’s research program focuses on understanding the responses of horticultural crops to environmental stresses, with the goal of developing environmentally sound and effective management strategies. He is a horticulturist with expertise in plant stress physiology, plant biology... Read More →
Co-authors
AB
AB

Audrey Beany

UF/IFAS/IRREC
DK

Davie Kadyampakeni

University of Florida
NA
JF

John-Paul Fox

University of Florida
MG

Michael Garcia

Florida Olive Council, LAA
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 3:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3

3:15pm CDT

VSF 3 - Strawberry Cultivar Assessment under Organic Production in a High Tunnel Tabletop System
Thursday July 31, 2025 3:15pm - 3:30pm CDT
Foster 1
Given the challenges associated with soil fertility management and disease, pest, and weed control in organic strawberry production, different growing practices and systems have been evaluated to address site-specific conditions and constraints. This study was aimed at assessing strawberry cultivar yield responses to the soilless substrate-based tabletop system in organically managed high tunnels. The research trial was carried out on certified land at the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, using a split plot design with four replications (each high tunnel serving as a replication). The tabletop strawberry troughs (1 m long) were filled with the soilless substrate consisting of a mixture of pine bark and locally available composts for growing seven strawberry cultivars, including ‘Ember’, ‘Encore’, ‘Florida Beauty’, ‘Florida Brilliance’, ‘Florida Felicity’, ‘Florida Medallion’, and ‘Florida Pearl’, at two spacings, i.e., 6 plants/trough (S6) vs. 8 plants/trough (S8). Spacing was the whole plot factor and strawberry cultivars were included in the subplots, with two troughs as an experimental unit. In addition to preplant incorporation of the granular organic fertilizer into the substrate, liquid organic fertilizer was applied throughout the production season. Bare-root strawberry plants were transplanted into the tabletop troughs inside high tunnels in October 2024 and the first harvest took place in late November. Fruit yield data were analyzed for the harvest period from November 2024 to early May 2025. ‘Encore’ and ‘Florida Felicity’ were top performers in terms of whole-season marketable fruit yield, while ‘Florida Brilliance’ exhibited the lowest yield potential. ‘Encore’ showed the highest average marketable fruit weight, whereas ‘Florida Pearl’ produced the smallest fruit. The whole-season marketable fruit yield and number per plant were significantly higher at S6 vs. S8, while a significant cultivar by spacing interaction was observed for marketable fruit yield and number per trough. On a per trough basis, ‘Florida Felicity’ and ‘Encore’ produced higher yields at S8 vs. S6, whereas other cultivars yielded similarly between the two spacings. ‘Florida Felicity’, ‘Encore’, and ‘Ember’ demonstrated great potential for producing early yields in this high tunnel tabletop system. Moreover, ‘Florida Felicity’ was the top yielding cultivar during the late season (mid-March to early May). Phytophthora crown and root rot and powdery mildew were among the major plant diseases detected in this study, while varying levels of disease susceptibility and plant health were observed among strawberry cultivars.
Speakers
XZ

Xin Zhao

University of Florida
Co-authors
VW

Vance Whitaker

University of Florida
YJ

Yifan Jing

University of Florida
NA
Thursday July 31, 2025 3:15pm - 3:30pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source This work is supported by the Urban, Indoor, and other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education and Extension Initiative program, project award no. 2023-70019-39370, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

3:30pm CDT

VSF 3 - Assessment of Physiology and Fruit Quality in Intraspecific Hybrid Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) Selections
Thursday July 31, 2025 3:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Foster 1
This study evaluated physiological and fruit quality traits of 24 intraspecific hybrid maypop (Passiflora incarnata) (Florida × Oklahoma) selections, grown in 3-gallon pots at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station South Mississippi Branch in Poplarville, Mississippi, in 2023. Summer physiological measurements revealed significant differences in stomatal conductance, ranging from 0.02 to 0.89 mol/m²s (0.29 mol/m²s average), transpiration, ranging from 0.31 to 7.98 mmol/m²s (3.65 mmol/m²s average), vapor pressure deficit, ranging from 0.83 to 2.56 kPa (1.51 kPa average), chlorophyll fluorescence, ranging from 0.38 to 0.67 (0.53 average), and fruit temperature, ranging from 32.00 to 39.33 °C (34.96 °C average) among selections. Significant differences were also observed in fruit size parameters, including height (45.53-64.94 mm; 56.94 mm average), width (33.83-56.32 mm; 49.56 mm average), shape (1.03-1.36 mm/mm; 1.16 mm/mm average), weight (15.41-59.66 g; 36.62 g average), and density (0.89-1.67 g/cm²; 1.25 g/cm² average). Pulp content also significantly differed, with total soluble solids ranging from 13.57 to 18.73 °Brix (15.90 °Brix average), titratable acidity from 14.77 to 23.33 g/L (17.96 g/L average), pH from 3.38 to 3.81 (3.59 average), total phenolic content from 363.72 to 603.88 mg GAE/L (481.33 mg GAE/L average), lightness (L*) from 73.94 to 80.91 (77.76 average), red-green value (a*) from -5.36 to 0.43 (-2.38 average), and yellow-blue value (b*) from 25.94 to 54.20 (39.62 average). Additionally, differential thermal analysis of the roots of these selections as well as their parents, revealed potential cold hardiness differences within P. incarnata, with Oklahoma roots exhibiting greater hardiness (-14.42 °C average) than Florida roots (-8.26 °C average), and hybrids showing intermediate tolerance (-10.53 °C average). Overall, these findings highlight the variability within P. incarnata, offering valuable insights for broader breeding efforts focused on enhancing both fruit quality and physiological traits within Passiflora.
Speakers
HW

Haley Williams

Mississippi State University
Co-authors
ES

Eric Stafne

Mississippi State University
NA
JR

Jenny Ryals

Mississippi State University
Thursday July 31, 2025 3:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Foster 1
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 3
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Poster # csv
  • Funding Source This material is based upon work that is supported by a National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hatch project under accession number 7003104. This project was funded through a Specific Cooperative Agreement between Mississippi State University and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, number 58-6062-1-007.
 
Friday, August 1
 

7:59am CDT

VSF 4 - Oral Session
Friday August 1, 2025 7:59am - 8:00am CDT
Strand 11B
Presiding/Moderator
GS

Guo-qing Song

Michigan State University
Friday August 1, 2025 7:59am - 8:00am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4

8:00am CDT

VSF 4 - Pollination Insights - Optimizing Honey Bee Mediated Pollination in Highbush Blueberry
Friday August 1, 2025 8:00am - 8:15am CDT
Strand 11B
Pollination is a prerequisite for optimizing both yield and fruit quality within commercial highbush blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) production systems. Although many insects can pollinate blueberry flowers, the honey bee (Apis mellifera) provides most of the pollination services within commercial settings due to the large number of foraging individuals within a single colony. Despite this, insufficient pollination frequently limits growers from achieving their full yield potential, and research-based recommendations to inform pollination strategies are lacking. The objective of this presentation is to summarize how the cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional Blueberry Pollination Project has addressed some of these barriers by investigating best practices to achieve optimal honey bee-mediated pollination and formulate decision-aid tools. Key findings that will be highlighted include the role of cross-pollination for optimizing yields in northern and southern highbush blueberry cultivars, the effects of hive placement on flower visitation and overall crop pollination, effects of changing stocking density and colony placement on farm income, and how landscape density and colony population size are more influential in determining flower visitation and pollination outcomes than traditional stocking density recommendations. Decision-aid tools that predict bloom phenology for the timely arrival and departure of honey bee colonies will also be introduced alongside other project resources available on our website (https://blueberrypollination.org/).
Speakers
LW

Lisa Wasko DeVetter

Washington State University
Lisa Wasko DeVetter joined Washington State University in 2014 and leads the small fruit horticulture program at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She has developed a diverse research and extension program with an emphasis on maximizing... Read More →
Co-authors
AM

Andony Melathopoulos

Oregon State University
NA
CK

Clark Kogan

StatsCraft LLC
NA
ER

Emma Rogers

Washington State University
NA
JW

Jenna Walters

University of Maine
NA
KL

Kayla L Brouwer

Washington State University NWREC
NA
LG

Laura Goldstein

Michigan State University
NA
ME

Maxime Eeraerts

University of Ghent
NA
MM

Meghan Milbrath

Michigan State University
NA
RM

Rachel Mallinger

University of Florida
NA
RI

Rufus Isaacs

Michigan State University
NA
SC

Stan Chabert

French National Institute for Agriculture,
NA
SG

Suzette Galinato

Washington State University
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 8:00am - 8:15am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source This article is based upon research supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2020-51181-32155 from the Specialty Crops Research Initiative, and NIFA Hatch project 1014919. ME was supported as a Belgian American Educational Foundation postdoctoral fellow and as an FWO postdoctoral fellow (grant no. 1210723N).
  • Funding Option SCRI funded all or part of the research associated with this abstract

8:15am CDT

VSF 4 - Optimizing nursery practices for the production of grafted blueberry liners
Friday August 1, 2025 8:15am - 8:30am CDT
Strand 11B
Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids) production in many regions of the world requires significant investments, including the use of soil amendments like pine bark. Prior research has identified V. arboreum as a potential rootstock which may reduce the need for costly soil inputs for growing southern highbush blueberries (SHB). Furthermore, use of V. arboreum as a blueberry rootstock may improve drought tolerance, increase plant longevity, confer tolerance to bacterial leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), and make mechanical harvesting more feasible. However, V. arboreum propagation and grafting can be challenging. Thus, there is a critical need to develop nursery practices for the production of grafted blueberry liners. Preliminary observations suggest that interspecific hybrids of SHB × V. arboreum may have desirable rootstock characteristics like greater rooting success and wider scion compatibility than V. arboreum. This study aimed to identify optimal grafting practices by evaluating the effects of different grafting timings on subsequent plant development of SHB grafted onto SHB × V. arboreum hybrids and V. arboreum rootstocks. ‘Sentinel’ and ‘Albus’ SHB scion cultivars were grafted onto V. arboreum and hybrid rootstocks at four times in the year: February, March, September, and November. Scion takes and growth were evaluated. Grafting success and subsequent plant development were assessed using a bud development scale. Results showed that grafting in the spring improved scion development compared to fall grafting. Additionally, hybrid rootstocks exhibited greater compatibility with SHB scions than V. arboreum. The findings from this project will contribute to the optimization of nursery practices for producing grafted SHB nursery plants efficiently which is necessary for adoption of rootstock use in commercial blueberry production.
Speakers
VG

Valentina Goles

University of Florida
NA
Co-authors
GN

Gerardo Nunez

University of Florida
JW

Jeffrey Williamson

University of Florida
Friday August 1, 2025 8:15am - 8:30am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4

8:30am CDT

VSF 4 - Metabolic alterations and the role of ethylene in regulating ripening in blueberry (Vaccinium ashei)
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 8:45am CDT
Strand 11B
Blueberry fruit are rich in antioxidants and have become popular due to their numerous health benefits. In many fruits, a significant metabolic shift in carbon metabolism during fruit ripening leads to an increase in sugars, decrease in acids and accumulation of anthocyanins. The alterations in metabolic programs during fruit ripening in blueberry remain uncharacterized. Further, the role of ethylene in metabolic reprograming during blueberry ripening has not been studied. We quantified sugars, acids, anthocyanins and determined the expression of genes related to their metabolism. This study revealed that sucrose import into the fruit continues throughout ripening, with a corresponding increase in glucose and fructose. The transcript abundance of SUCROSE SYNTHASE and NEUTRAL INVERTASE was detected, suggesting sucrose catabolism in the cytosol. The high transcript abundance of VACUOLAR INVERTASE suggested that this gene plays a predominant role in sequestration of glucose and fructose in the vacuole. Malate and quinate were the major acids that displayed a decrease in concentration during ripening. The expression of MALATE DEHYDROGENASE and high transcript abundance of PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE CARBOXYKINASE suggested conversion of malate to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) during ripening. One of the potential fates of PEP, the generation of shikimate for anthocyanin production, was supported by the upregulation of multiple anthocyanin biosynthesis genes. Further, applications of ethephon and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, suggested that ethylene transiently stimulates sugar, acid and anthocyanin metabolism. This indicated ethylene is important for ripening initiation in blueberry. Overall, this study provided insights into metabolic programs, and the role of ethylene during blueberry ripening.
Speakers
SN

Savithri Nambeesan

University of Georgia
Co-authors
TP

Tej Prasad Acharya

University of Georgia
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 8:45am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4

8:45am CDT

VSF 4 - Genetic Approaches for Fast-Track Breeding of Blueberry and Grapevine: Strategies, Potentials, and Challenges
Friday August 1, 2025 8:45am - 9:00am CDT
Strand 11B
Conventional breeding of woody fruit crops through hybridization is more time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly than breeding annual plants, primarily due to their prolonged juvenile phase before flowering. Over the past two decades, significant efforts have been made to accelerate woody plant breeding, also known as as FasTrack breeding, by shortening juvenility using cutting-edge technologies. One key strategy involves genetic engineering of flowering pathway genes, particularly members of the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family, such as FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1). Constitutive expression of FT or knockout/knockdown of TFL1 has proven effective in inducing early flowering. These approaches have successfully enabled FasTrack breeding in blueberry (Vaccinium cormbosum) and plum (Prunus domestica). In this presentation, I will share our success in blueberry FasTrack breeding and discuss recent progress in applying this strategy to grapevine (Vitis vinifera). More recently, we have developed FasTrack breeding blueberry (Vaccinium cormbosum) and made significant progress in applying this strategy to grapevine (Vitis vinifera) though FT overexpression and TFL1 gene editing.
Speakers
GS

Guo-qing Song

Michigan State University
Co-authors
GZ

Gan-yuan Zhong

USDA-ARS
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 8:45am - 9:00am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4

9:00am CDT

VSF 4 - Plant Growth and Fruit Quality Assessment of Two Promising Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) Cultivars, ‘PinkPop’ and ‘SnowPop’ in Kentucky
Friday August 1, 2025 9:00am - 9:15am CDT
Strand 11B
Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) is a perennial vine native to North America, valued for its tropical fruit flavor, adaptability, and resilience to cold and drought. Unlike Passiflora edulis (Passion fruit), which thrives only in tropical and subtropical climates, Maypop has potential as a high-value fruit crop for temperate regions. In addition to its edible fruit, its leaves and flowers have medicinal applications, and its seed oil is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making it valuable for cosmetic and therapeutic use. This study evaluated the performance of two Maypop cultivars, ‘PinkPop’ and ‘SnowPop,’ in a field trial at Kentucky State University’s Harold R. Benson Research Farm. A randomized complete block design was used to assess plant growth, fruit yield, fruit quality, and seed characteristics in 2024. Fruits from a wild relative were also analyzed for comparison. Preliminary results showed no significant difference in plant height (~86 cm) and stem diameter (~5.5 mm) between cultivars in June. ‘SnowPop’ produced more fruits and had higher yield than ‘PinkPop,’ though the difference was not statistically significant. However, ‘PinkPop’ produced significantly heavier fruits (30.8 g) compared to ‘SnowPop’ (26.09 g), while both had a similar average fruit diameter (~36 mm). The wild relative produced comparatively larger fruits (45.92 g, 55.67 mm diameter). Soluble solids content was comparable between ‘PinkPop’ (13.6° Brix) and ‘SnowPop’ (12.9° Brix), whereas the wild relative had significantly lower Brix (6.6°). Seed analysis indicated that ‘PinkPop’ had more and heavier seeds per fruit, contributing to a higher edible pulp content, while ‘SnowPop’ had fewer seeds, making it potentially more desirable for fresh consumption and processing. Overall, both cultivars demonstrated strong potential for commercial cultivation in Kentucky, and their traits, along with those of the wild relative, highlight opportunities for breeding programs to develop improved Maypop cultivars with enhanced fruit quality.
Speakers
avatar for Srijana Thapa Magar

Srijana Thapa Magar

Kentucky State University
Co-authors
DS

Dipesh Shrestha

Kentucky State University
NA
KP

Kirk Pomper

Kentucky State University
Dr. Kirk W. Pomper is the Professor of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky. As Horticulture Research Leader, his program is focused on research and Extension efforts toward developing pawpaw as... Read More →
Friday August 1, 2025 9:00am - 9:15am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4

9:15am CDT

VSF 4 - Molecular Marker Resources for Breeding Heat-tolerant Blueberries
Friday August 1, 2025 9:15am - 9:30am CDT
Strand 11B
Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are small fruit crops native to North America but grown commercially in several countries worldwide. Blueberries are highly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions and prolonged heat waves. High temperatures pose a significant challenge for developing strategies for enhancing crop resilience and food security. As blueberry is a recently domesticated crop, the availability of genomic resources is minimal for accelerating climate-resilient blueberry breeding programs, especially for heat stress tolerance. Previously, we identified several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with heat-tolerant traits in blueberries. In this study, we developed 96 Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) marker assays and 10 Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences (CAPS) markers for heat tolerance-associated SNPs. KASP assays were screened on 384 plants comprising diploid and tetraploid intercross derivatives, cultivars, and wild germplasm. We found a high level of heterozygosity for these markers. A principal component analysis of the genotype data differentiated wild accessions and hybrids, whereas tetraploid derivatives and cultivars formed a single cluster. A diverse panel of 42 accessions was evaluated under controlled high-temperature conditions (40 °C for 4 days) in a separate study. Physiological responses to heat stress were quantified by measuring leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) content (an indicator of oxidative membrane damage) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters to assess photosystem II efficiency. Cultivars varied in stress response: heat-tolerant genotypes accumulated significantly less MDA and sustained higher photochemical efficiency than sensitive ones. Five CAPS markers showed substantial allele-associated differences in MDA levels, effectively distinguishing tolerant vs. sensitive groups. Cluster analysis based on the CAPS genotypes further separated cultivars according to genetic background (highbush vs. rabbiteye), revealing the known heat-resilient cultivars (often with wild Vaccinium ancestry) grouped together. These findings highlight robust marker–trait associations between SNP-derived CAPS markers and heat-tolerance indicators. Upon further validation in diverse germplasm, the newly developed markers will facilitate breeding heat-tolerant blueberry cultivars.
Speakers
KM

kalpalatha Melmaiee

Delaware State University
Co-authors
KP

Krishnanand P. Kulkarni

Delaware State University
NA
RK

Richmond K. Appiah

Delaware State University
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 9:15am - 9:30am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-NIFA-CBG) awards 2022-38821-37298 and 2023-38821-39921

9:30am CDT

VSF 4 - Targeting Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Omics-Based Discovery of Cytotoxic Agents in Muscadine Seeds
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 9:45am CDT
Strand 11B
Muscadine grape seeds are a rich source of polyphenols with known health benefits, yet the specific compounds responsible for their anticancer effects remain poorly understood. This study investigates the cytotoxic potential of muscadine seed metabolites against African American triple-negative breast cancer using an integrated OMICS approach combining genomics, metabolomics, cytotoxicity assays, HPLC, gene expression profiling, molecular modeling, and statistical analysis. Among 1,781 metabolites identified by LC/MS-MS, we identified three compounds that exhibited the strongest anticancer activity by targeting Eph receptor signaling, cell proliferation, and inducing apoptosis. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of muscadine seed phytochemicals and support their development as functional food components or leads for targeted cancer therapies.
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 9:45am CDT
Strand 11B
  Oral presentation, Viticulture and Small Fruits 4

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Bacteriophage Trunk Injection Treatment Trial for Pierce’s Disease in ‘Vidal Blanc’ Grapevines
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Pierce’s Disease (PD) is a major disease of grapevines in the southeast US caused by the xylem dwelling bacteria Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa (Xf). XylPhi-PD is a bacteriophage product recently registered for PD management in grapevines in Georgia. In 2023 and 2024, ‘Vidal blanc’ hybrid winegrape vines with a history of PD were either ‘treated’ at the maximum label rate or ’untreated’ in a commercial vineyard in Lumpkin Co. GA. Disease was rated visually by two raters in September shortly after harvest. A subsample (n=80) was assessed by AmplifyRP XRT to confirm visual assessment. Overall, there was a reduced disease incidence and severity in the treated vines for both years (chi-sq p
Speakers
SL

Sarah Lowder

University of Georgia
Co-authors
CM

Clark MacAllister

University of Georgia
NA
SB

Shane Breeden

University of Georgia
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Bridging Gaps in Vineyard Nutrient Management through the HiRes Project: A Data-Driven Approach
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
The High-Resolution (HiRes) Vineyard Nutrient Management Project is developing precision agriculture tools for vineyard nutrition monitoring and refining current guidelines for all grape markets (wine, table, raisin, and juice) in the United States (US). In 2021, an industry survey was conducted, and data was received from commercial grape growers in 25 states. These results provided a nutrient management baseline: growers use annual vine tissue testing and periodic soil testing by manually collecting vine tissues (petioles and leaf blades) and/or soil and sending them to labs for analysis. There is low adoption of precision agriculture methods in farming, and the reasons cited were perceived high costs and technical complexity. In 2025, focus groups were conducted to gather data on how growers prioritize nutrient management, methods used for monitoring, and openness to adopting new vineyard nutrition sensor technologies. Focus groups were conducted across grape-producing states representing eastern and western US regions. These were semi-structured discussions using a uniform questionnaire. Each meeting consisted of 5-10 participants, including vineyard managers, vineyard or winery owners, and other industry stakeholders. Discussions focused on grower decision-making processes, valuation of nutrient management, and strategies for integrating precision agriculture technology. Results show that growers highly value vineyard nutrition for maintaining vine health and crop balance, as found in the 2021 survey. Participants emphasized challenges in field sampling efficiency, consistency, cost, and uncertainty in interpreting results for management plans. Participants had ongoing concerns about input costs and the practical limitations of current equipment for variable-rate applications, particularly for micronutrients. Although growers indicated low use of precision agriculture methods in 2021, focus group results show strong interest in new tools. However, these tools need to be affordable, user-friendly, allow for in-house data, and provide actionable recommendations tailored to specific vine phenology and regional soil variability. A growing interest in regenerative and organic approaches emerged as a significant management theme across regions. These findings are forming the project’s outreach to deliver comprehensive educational resources and user-friendly sensor technologies to enhance grower vineyard nutrient monitoring practices.
Speakers
KS

Karmandeep Sidhu

Graduate Research assistant, Oregon State University
I am a first-year graduate student in Horticulture at Oregon State University, Corvallis
Co-authors
AH

Andrew Harner

Virginia Tech
NA
JV

Justine Vanden Heuvel

NYSAES Cornell University
NA
MF

Matthew Fidelibus

University of California, Davis
NA
NS

Nataliya Shcherbatyuk

Washington State University
NA
PS

Patricia Skinkis

Oregon State University
NA
TB

Terence Bates

Cornell University, NY
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) grant. Project Award Number: 2020-51181-32159

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Co-regulation of a CBF gene by ICE and FAMA reveals crosstalk between cold acclimation and the stomatal development pathways in grape
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Grape (Vitis spp) has four ICE genes encoding proteins with possible functions as transcription factors in an ICE-CBF cold acclimation pathway. Using an Agrobacterium-mediated transactivation system, it was determined that Vitis riparia ICE activates the VrCBF4 promoter after a 4-day incubation period at 22 C when effector and reporter bacteria were at an OD600 of at least 0.25 and 0.5, respectively. All four grape ICE proteins activated VrCBF4 and VrCBF6 promoters. These promoters were used as reporter because both these CBF genes are abundantly expressed in overwintering mature grape buds and therefore thought to be important for freezing tolerance in grape. VrCBF4 was activated most by VrICE2 and VrICE3 whereas VrCBF6 was activated most by VrICE1 and VrICE4. An additional 2 hours of cold treatment increased activation by only the ICE proteins, VrICE2 and VrICE3 that contain a sumoylation site. This supports the notion that low temperature stabilizes VrICE2 and VrICE3 protein by sumoylation. Using a 5’ deletion series of the VrCBF4 promoter it was found that the -281 to -342 bp region contains sequence sufficient for activation by the VrICE proteins or stomatal protein VrFAMA(L). Analyses with a wild type or mutated MYC2g element plus min35S promoter showed that VrICE2, VrICE3 and FAMA(L) activated via this element. The higher activation by combinations of VrICE and VrFAMA(L) suggests that they interact with each other to direct VrCBF4 activation which showed possible overlap between stomatal development and cold acclimation pathways.
Speakers
MR

M Rahman

Alabama State University
Co-authors
AE

Ali Ebadi

University of Guelph
NA
AN

Annette Nassuth

University of Guelph
NA
MS

Mahbuba Siddiqua

University of Guelph
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Developing a Nutrient Management Strategy for High Tunnel Red Raspberry Production in the Lower Midwest
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
High tunnel hydroponic systems are increasingly adopted to extend the growing season and improve fruit quality in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) production. While nutrient management guidelines exist for northern climates, they are often not suited to Lower Midwestern systems especially those using soilless substrates such as coconut coir. In these cooler climates, nitrogen uptake is limited by low root zone temperatures and reduced microbial activity, often resulting in unchecked vegetative growth that shades developing fruit and reduces yield and quality. In contrast, warmer Lower Midwestern high tunnels promote faster nitrogen uptake due to elevated root temperatures and increased plant metabolic rates. While this enhances nutrient absorption, it also encourages overly vigorous vegetative growth when fertility is not carefully managed, limiting light penetration and shifting resources away from fruit development. These challenges highlight the need for region specific nitrogen thresholds that optimize fruit yield without promoting excessive shoot growth. Without region-specific fertility strategies, nutrient applications often exceed crop demand, reducing efficiency and productivity. This project aims to develop optimized nutrient management strategies tailored to soilless raspberry production in Lower Midwestern high tunnels. A completely randomized split-plot experiment was conducted in a high tunnel located in southern Illinois. Three nitrogen fertigation rates (low, medium, high) were assigned to main plots, and five foliar nutrient treatments to split plots. Raspberries were grown in coconut coir, and each of the 15 treatment combinations was replicated four times (n = 60 plots), with five plants per plot and two fruiting canes per plant. Measured variables included shoot length, leaf number, total fruit yield, average berry weight, and foliar nutrient concentrations. These metrics were used to evaluate treatment effects on nutrient efficiency and overall plant performance. Results showed a 222.5% increase in potential fruit yield between the lowest and highest producing plots per 9 × 27-meter-high tunnels. However, this yield gain was accompanied by a 5.9% decrease in average berry size, indicating a trade-off in which higher yields are associated with smaller berries, while lower yields produce larger fruit. This research provides practical, science-based fertility recommendations to growers for improvement of fruit quality and yield, reduced fertilizer waste, and enhanced sustainability and profitability of raspberry production in Lower Midwestern high tunnels.
Speakers
KG

Kayla Grey

Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Co-authors
AW

Alan Walters

Southern Illinois University
AW

Amanda Weidhuner

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
BT

Bradley Taylor

Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2
  • Subject Viticulture and Small Fruits
  • Funding Source This work was supported by a grant from the SIU Advanced Energy Institute, which gratefully acknowledges funding awarded through the Advanced Energy Resource Board.

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Developing a Pitless, Thornless, and Compact Blackberry using Gene Editing Technologies
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Pairwise is pioneering the application of CRISPR technology in food and agriculture. Our company brings together leaders in agriculture, technology, and consumer foods to harness the transformative potential of novel genomics technologies to create innovative new products. We are working to develop new varieties of crops, and to partner with organizations that seek to deliver innovation across the plant-based economy. At Pairwise, we have established robust and reproducible product development pipelines in multiple crops that rapidly propel research from proof-of-concept to product development. We have recovered and characterized edited events in tetraploid blackberry (Rubus subg. Rubus) to improve architecture and agronomic traits. In this presentation, we will share insights and progress on the recovery of edited blackberry plants with desired trait phenotypes.
Speakers
BC

Bruno Casamali

Pairwise Plants
Co-authors
AR

Anabel Rivas

Pairwise Plants
NA
AF
BC
BS
CO
JR

Joel Reiner

Pairwise Plants
LR
PM

Pradeep Marri

Pairwise Plants
TP

Tom Poorten

Pairwise
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Evaluating Texture and Shelf Life in Muscadine Varieties
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Consumer expectations for grapes often center around their visual appeal, taste, and mouthfeel. For instance, the satisfying crunch of a crisp green grape is highly desirable. Similarly, grocery stores maintain strict standards for freshness to ensure marketability. However, these expectations are predominantly based on the vinifera grape, setting a benchmark that muscadines—though beloved in the Southeastern United States—struggle to meet. Muscadine grapes differ significantly from table grapes, leading to challenges in consumer acceptance and retail adoption. Thin-skinned and firm-fleshed berries are selected in our breeding program to make muscadines more palatable to a wider audience and more appealing to retailers, but could potentially reduce shelf life by increasing transpiration rates. Given these concerns, our study examined a range of attributes related to berry texture and their effects on storage ability. Thirty muscadine genotypes were evaluated over a month-long storage period in which attributes such as firmness, skin thickness, and flesh texture were measured. Our findings indicate that berry firmness decreases during storage relative to initial firmness. However, berries ranking firmer at harvest remained firmer after storage compared to softer genotypes. Importantly, our breeding efforts to enhance texture showed minimal impact on storage ability. These results suggest that selecting for vinifera-like texture traits in muscadines can improve consumer and retailer acceptance without significantly compromising shelf life, offering promising implications for expanding muscadine markets nationwide.
Speakers
AM

Anne Marie Gahagan

University of Georgia
Co-authors
AD

Angelos Deltsidis

University of Georgia
PC

Patrick Conner

University of Georgia
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Evaluating the Performance of Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) Advanced Selections under Central Alabama Conditions
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
The muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) is a native fruit crop of the Southeastern U.S., known for its resiliency, high nutritional value, and relatively low input cost in comparison to bunch grapes. Muscadine grape breeding efforts aim to answer production challenges by developing new germplasm with superior traits such as cultivars with large berry size, increased yield, and improved fruit quality attributes. This study aimed to evaluate the overall performance of the University of Arkansas breeding program advanced selections ‘AM-70’, ‘AM-195’, ‘AM-26’ and ‘AM-77’ and the University of Georgia bred selections ‘Ga. 10-1-222’, ‘Ga. 13-4-2’, ‘Ga. 6-1-269’ and ‘Ga. 10-1-294’ in Alabama conditions. Plants of ‘RubyCrisp’ were included for comparison. The experimental vines were planted at the Chilton Research and Extension Center (USDA hardiness zone 8A), Clanton, AL, in 2021. A RCB design with four single plant replications was utilized. Harvesting season spanned from Aug. 9 to Sept. 18, 2024. Fruit of ‘Ga. 10-1-222’, ‘Ga. 13-4-2’, ‘Ga. 6-1-269’, ‘Ga. 10-1-294’, ‘AM-70’, ‘AM-26’and ‘AM-77’ ripened early whereas ‘AM-195’ had a mid-season ripening and ‘RubyCrisp’ matured late in the season. Results suggest ‘Ga. 10-1-294’, was the highest yielding selection, with a total yield of 27.7 kg/vine, compared to the standard cultivar ‘RubyCrisp’, which yielded 24.3 kg/vine. However, no significant difference in total yield among the tested selections was found. The berries of ‘Ga. 6-1-269’ had the largest individual berry weight of 11.9 g, followed by cultivar ‘RubyCrisp’ (11.5 g). ‘AM-195’ berries were the firmest and it was found that the selections differ in flesh firmness. While ‘RubyCrisp’ produced the highest percent berries with wet stem scar (27.6%), ‘AM-26’ had the highest percent berries with dry stem scar (92.9%). ‘AM-70’ berries were the sweetest (17.10 Brix), followed by ‘AM-195’ (15.20 Brix). The TSS:TA ratio varied between 16.7 and 41.0 and was highest for ‘AM-70’. The important fruit productivity and fruit quality parameters evaluated in this study can inform breeders on selection of superior cultivars of muscadine grapes.
Speakers
avatar for Jagjit Singh

Jagjit Singh

Graduate Research Assistant (MS), Auburn University
Co-authors
EV

Edgar Vinson

Auburn University
EC

Elina Coneva

Auburn University
ML

Margaret Leigh Worthington

University of Arkansas
MT

Marlee Trandel Hayse

Auburn University
MR

Melba Ruth Salazar Gutierrez

Auburn University
NA
PC

Patrick Conner

University of Georgia
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Glycine Betaine Reduces Freeze Damage in ‘Victoria’ Blackberry.
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Blackberry (Rubus spp.) growers in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) regularly experience freeze damage, which limits yields and on-farm revenues. Freeze mitigation using wind machines, in-field heaters, and overhead sprinkler irrigation is costly and may not be economical. Sprayable biostimulants, in contrast, are potentially more affordable and readily adaptable as they can be applied using equipment readily available on most farms. However, the efficacy of biostimulants at mitigating freeze damage is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a glycine betaine-based biostimulant on the freezing damage of ‘Victoria’ floral buds. The biostimulant (FRUIT ARMORTM) was applied four days before a freezing event at its highest label rate (4.5 kg/ha) to three consecutive rows in different areas of a commercial farm in Skagit County, Washington. The foliar application was compared to an untreated control. Floricanes from both treatments were collected two days after a second frost and scored for damage by quantifying the presence or absence of damage to primary floral buds from a total of 720 treated and 720 untreated buds. A mixed-effect logistic regression model was used to analyze the data and account for cane and location variability, as well as estimate the expected probability of damage to the floral buds. The foliar application of glycine betaine increased freezing tolerance and reduced the expected probability of damage in the buds by 5.5%. Furthermore, the odds of bud damage in the control were 1.42 higher compared to treated buds. Results indicate that glycine betaine promotes freeze tolerance and may be a cost-effective strategy for blackberry growers to reduce freeze damage. Further research should be done to evaluate other biostimulant active ingredients as well as the optimal timing of biostimulant application and cost-benefits relative to other freeze mitigation practices.
Speakers
PR

Pedro Rojas-Barros

Washington State University
Co-authors
AF

Ashley Fincham

Washington State University
NA
CK

Clark Kogan

Washington State University
NA
LW

Lisa Wasko DeVetter

Washington State University
Lisa Wasko DeVetter joined Washington State University in 2014 and leads the small fruit horticulture program at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She has developed a diverse research and extension program with an emphasis on maximizing... Read More →
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - How Do Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries Allocate Nitrogen Fertilizer? First Year of 15Nitrogen Study with ‘Prime-Ark® Traveler’
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
Research on nitrogen (N) allocation and accumulation in blackberries has primarily focused on floricane-fruiting varieties. However, there is a gap in existing literature on primocane-fruiting blackberry N allocation due to how relatively new primocane-fruiting blackberries are to the commercial industry. The objectives of this study were to investigate how fertilizer N is partitioned among plant parts in ‘Prime-Ark Traveler®’ and quantify the percent N recovery by the plant. In 2023, 15N labeled ammonium-nitrate was applied at a rate of 134.4 kg N/ha to a planting of ‘Prime-Ark Traveler®’ blackberries at the University of Arkansas Fruit Research Station in Clarksville, AR. Plants were fertilized via drip-irrigation over fifteen weeks. In 2023, plant biomass samples were collected in triplicate at four physiological stages: (1) small green floricane fruit, (2) peak-floricane harvest, (3) peak-primocane harvest, and (4) after floricane senescence. This paper focuses on results of leaf, cane, and crown 15N content. Due to senescence, floricanes were not collected at stage 4. Plant parts were separated by cane type before being dried and analyzed to determine mass fertilizer-N recovery (MFNR) and fertilizer recovery efficiency (FRE). MFNR represents the uptake of 15N fertilizer by individual plant organs (g/plant organ) at a given stage. FRE was calculated as a percent of 15N fertilizer in the plant (MFNR) out of total applied (g), with total FRE determined by averaging the FRE of plants at stage 4 and accounting for removed tissues such as fruit and floricanes. Primocane leaf MFNR was highest at stage 3 (1.84 g) and significantly different than stages 1 and 2. Physiological stage did not impact floricane leaf MFNR. Primocane cane MFNR was highest in at stage 3 (0.78 g) and was significantly different than stages 1 and 2. Floricane cane MFNR was highest at stage 1 (0.50 g) and was significantly different than all other stages. No significant differences were observed for MFNR in crowns across physiological stage. The finding that floricane 15N decreased over the season while primocane 15N increased are consistent with current literature on floricane fruiting types of blackberry which indicate that fertilizer applied in-season is generally allocated toward the primocane, however some N uptake in-season by the floricane does occur. Total plant FRE at stage 3 was 21.23%. High soil N levels at the trial site may have diluted uptake of applied 15N. These preliminary results represent the initial year findings of a multi-year trial.
Speakers
AL

Amanda Lay-Walters

University of Arkansas
Co-authors
AM

Amanda Mcwhirt

University of Arkansas
RT

Renee Threlfall

University of Arkansas
NA
RD

Ryan Dickson

University of Arkansas
NA
TR

Trenton Roberts

University of Arkansas
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - Raspberry Resilience: Enhancing Fertilization and Sustainability Practices for Primocane and Floricane Cultivars in the Mid-Atlantic
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
This poster presents findings from NE-SARE Professional Development Program, which provided critical training in raspberry nutrition management to 87 participants across seven workshops in 2024. The focus was on Floricane and Primocane raspberries grown under high tunnel systems, targeting small-scale and underserved growers in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Participants learned advanced fertilization techniques, including injector use, dose calculations, and liquid versus granular fertilizer applications. Hardwood cuttings valued at $5,000 were distributed for vegetative propagation—transforming waste material into economic assets for 25 farmers. The workshops also introduced split-dose fertilization and nutrient timing, equipping participants to enhance productivity and reduce environmental impact. Demographically, the training reached a diverse audience, with 66.7% of surveyed participants identifying as Black and 44.4% as Black female farmers. Pre-training surveys revealed significant knowledge gaps—88.9% rated their understanding of fertilization topics as 1 out of 5. Post-training responses showed marked improvements in technical skills, confidence, and intent to implement sustainable practices. All participants planned to adopt at least one technique such as split-dose fertilization or injector-based nutrient delivery. The project not only advanced skill development but also inspired proactive change in raspberry cultivation, promoting equity and sustainability in Mid-Atlantic agriculture.
Speakers
ND

Naveen Dixit

University of MD Eastern Shore
NA
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2

1:00pm CDT

VSF 2 - The Novel use of Small Molecules for Mitigating Herbicide Drift in Grapevines
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
In Texas, and across the country increased use of auxin like herbicides (ALH) have led to a significant rise in instances of off target injury, either through direct spray drift or volatilization. Commonly used in row crop production for control of broadleaf weeds, ALH have the ability to travel several miles under optimal environmental conditions, increasing the chance for off target exposure. Through the increased adoption of ALH resistant row crops, incidents of drift damage have only increased. Currently growers, both grape and non-grape, have no practical solutions for protecting their crops. The solution currently is using passive mitigation, through the use of buffer zones or avoiding planting near areas of row crop production, with either is not always being feasible. Grapes are especially sensitive to AHLH, with visible injury occurring at even 1/100th of the labeled application rate. In Texas over 40% of growers in the High Plains and West Texas have reported injury in vines from ALH. As grape production continues to increase in Texas there is a need for a viable and cost-effective solution for the prevention of ALH damage. This study is investigating the novel use of a class of small molecules, a single candidate used in this preliminary experiment, that share a similar mode of action. These molecules compete for the binding site of the TIR1/AFB protein found in plants, to inhibit the binding of ALH. If successful, these small molecules could prevent the auxin-signaling pathway from being activated by ALH. This compound was tested in-vitro conditions using rates well above drift incidents. If effective these molecules represent the first steps in developing active mitigation strategies for the prevention of off target ALH incidents. While this study is being conducted with grapevines, should it show promise, tests could be expanded to other horticultural crops in preventing ALH damage.
Speakers
JM
Co-authors
AD
Friday August 1, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Empire AB
  Poster, Viticulture and Small Fruits 2
 
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