Mission:
The mission of the Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory is to develop germplasm for high value small fruits and vegetables with improved disease resistance, tolerance to abiotic stresses, quality, and nutritional value. The major objectives of the laboratory are to 1) enhance germplasm of specialty focus crops for the specific traits of interest, integrating conventional and molecular technologies to increase breeding efficiency; 2) contribute to understanding the genetic basis of fundamental processes underlying host-pathogen interactions and apply that knowledge to crop improvement; and 3) develop and optimize novel disease management strategies. Specialty focus crops include strawberry, blueberry, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, potato, tomato, pepper, and eggplant.