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                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU): Geneva, NY
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ARS Home Northeast Area Geneva, New York Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU)





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Newsheadline bar /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/CornellChronele2.png (Lance Cadle-Davidson) Facial recognition AI helps save multibillion dollar grape crop*
August 12, 2021, a radical collaboration between a biologist and an engineer is supercharging efforts to protect grape crops. The technology they’ve developed, using robotics and AI to identify grape plants infected with a devastating fungus, will so, on be available to researchers nationwide working on a wide array of plant and animal research.
(Lance Cadle-Davidson) Grape genetics research reveals what makes the perfect flower*
May 17, 2021, wines and table grapes exist thanks to a genetic exchange so rare that it’s only happened twice in nature in the last 6 million years. And since the domestication of the grapevine 8,000 years ago, breeding has continued to be a gamble.
(Lance Cadle-Davidson) Genetic marker discovery could ease plant breeders’ work* January 21, 2020, Plant breeders are always striving to develop new varieties that satisfy growers, producers and consumers. (ARS, GGRU) Schumer announces $68.9 million for USDA grape lab at Cornell AgriTech* February 26, 2019, in service to the vineyards, the Grape Genetic Research Unit, located at Cornell AgriTech, is a team of USDA-ARS scientists who are closely integrated with Cornell faculty, researchers and extension associates. For more than 30 years, USDA and Cornell AgriTech researchers have collaborated to learn about the genetics of grapes and use that information to improve grape quality, disease resistance and adaptability to New York state’s climate.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/FindBio.jpg (Lance Cadle-Davidson) Scientists Use Computer Vision to Grow Stronger Grapes*
August 17, 2021, a team of plant specialists is using artificial intelligence to grow healthier grapes. To that end, the researchers have outfitted robots with computer vision technology that can identify plants that have been infected with powdery mildew spores.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/FingerlakesDailyNews.JPG (Dr. Jacobs-Young)  Schumer Pushes for Funding for Geneva’s Grape Genetics Research Unit | Finger Lakes Daily News Finger Lakes Daily News* April 19, 2018, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer is urging the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service to provide a robust investment in new equipment for the Grape Genetics Research Unit in Geneva.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/TheEngineer.jpg (Lance Cadle-Davidson) BlackBird robotic camera uses AI to protect grape crops*
August 16, 2021, Biologist Lance Cadle-Davidson, an adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) at Cornell University and a research plant pathologist with the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), is working to develop grape varieties that are more resistant to powdery mildew, which can show up in infrared before they are visible to the naked eye. His lab’s research is hindered by the need to manually assess thousands of grape leaf samples for evidence of infection.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/GoodFruit.jpg (Lance Cadle-Davidson) Taking the guesswork out of grape breeding*
November 25, 2020, a high-tech approach promises to shave years off the grape-breeding process by identifying which potential parent vines carry specific genetic characteristics. It also can reveal whether new seedling crosses have those desired traits from the get-go, without the need to wait one or more seasons for them to manifest in the field.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/LocateFingerLakes.jpg (Gan-Yuan Zhong) Dr. Gan-Yuan Zhong: Changing the Grape Industry Through Plant Genetics*  February 29, 2024, As GGRU Research Leader, his goal is simple: leading a group of top-notch research scientists to improve the productivity and profitability of grape production through breeding, genetic research, and technology transfers. That means focusing on the improvement of grapevine resistance and tolerance to various forms of biotic stress (i.e. powdery mildew and downy mildew), abiotic stress (i.e. low temperature, drought, and adverse soil conditions), fruit quality (i.e. aroma, flavor and healthy nutrients), and plant architecture. There are more than 1,600 family vineyards, 400 wineries, and almost 40,000 acres of cropland in grapes in New York. The state’s grape crop is valued at $52 million and produces $4.8 billion in annual economic benefits for New York.    /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/TheNextByte.jpg (Lance Cadle-Davidson) 32. Robot That Will Save Grape Farmers Billions & How Metallic Glass Will Result In Affordable Robotics*
August 24, 2021, in this episode, we talk about a collaboration between two professors at Cornell University to combat the multi-billion dollar annual loss of grapes by combating powdery mildew using AI and how a novel material developed by NASA JPL researchers can significantly reduce the cost of robotics worldwide.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/VisionS.jpg (Lance Cadle-Davidson)**In the Quest for a Healthier Grape, AI Uncorks a Defense*** Spring 2022, Powdery mildew is a costly problem. An outbreak of the plant disease could wipe out an entire greenhouse crop. Treating the mildew with fungicides can cost thousands of dollars, and such treatment may only work if the outbreak is detected early.  /ARSUserFiles/80601000/News/VitisGen2.jpg (Lance Cadle-Davidson) Newly Identified Powdery Mildew Resistance Locus (REN11) on Chromosome 15 Confers Stable, Non Race Specific Resistance* Public and private breeders of commodity crops such as maize and soybeans have long used sophisticated bioinformatics, statistical tools, and ‘big data’ to guide their breeding programs. These tools increasingly leverage detailed DNA sequence information to predict the performance of each crop’s breeding lines – and ultimately help breeders release improved varieties more quickly. *Goes to Non-Federal Site    ARS News Articles  USDA's Agricultural Research Service Announces Scientist of the Year and Other AwardsJun 12, 2012USDA Scientists and Collaborators Complete More Comprehensive Genetic Analysis of Domesticated GrapeJan 18, 2011Bringing Better Grapes a Step Closer to RealityMar 23, 2010Research Probes Day Length Sensing in GrapesAug 20, 2009The Goal: Finding--and Using--Key Grape GenesApr 16, 2008New Dwarf Type May Be a Giant of Grape ResearchDec 21, 2006A Second Nematode-Foiling Gene Found in Grape PlantsApr 17, 2006Grapes' Color Linked to a Gene's Inner WorkingsApr 04, 2006


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