U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Annual Report on Science Accomplishments FY 2020





- Advancing Human Nutrition Research
- Advancing Sustainable Aquaculture Production
- Advancing Sustainable Livestock Production
- Combating AMR
- Combating Citrus Greening
- Controlling Insect Pests
- Developing New Crop Varieties
- Expanding Public Access to Agricultural Information
- Improving Pasture and Rangeland Management
- Improving Rural Economies
- Monitoring and Mitigating Plant Disease
- Optimizing Agricultural Management to Mitigate Climate
- Optimizing Water Use Management
- Protecting Animal Health Disease Detection
- Protecting Human and Animal Health
- Protecting Pollinator Health
- Reducing Labor and Advancing Precision Agriculture
- Safeguarding the Food Supply

**Developing New Crop Varieties with Enhanced Traits and Disease Resistance** DOWNLOAD ONEPAGER PDF  ARS advances multiple crop industries by developing new crop varieties with disease resistance and other trait enhancements and providing new tools and approaches that will support future breeding efforts. In addition to supporting major commodities, ARS breeding programs advance specialty crops, which alone have a U.S. farm gate value of $87.7 billion. The following accomplishments are examples of ARS advances in crop breeding for disease resistance and trait enhancement that were made in FY 2020. Identification of romaine lettuces with reduced browning discoloration for fresh-cut processing. Lettuce is one of the most valuable fresh vegetables and one of the top 10 most valuable crops in the United States, with an annual farm-gate value of more than $2.5 billion. Fresh-cut lettuce is the primary ingredient of the increasingly popular packaged, ready-to-eat salads; however, discoloration (browning) represents a major challenge that limits its quality and shelf life. Processors who lack effective browning control methods are relying on modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to achieve low oxygen atmospheric conditions and maintain the shelf life. ARS researchers in Salinas, CA, and Beltsville, MD, identified lettuces with limited browning that will be used in breeding programs and to help identify genes associated with limited browning. These findings are of great benefit to the U.S vegetable industry. Unlocking the genetic resistance of soft winter wheat preharvest sprouting (PHS). PHS is the germination of wheat grains in the field before harvest following 2 or more consecutive days of rain with cool temperatures. These weather conditions occur in the soft winter wheat growing region about once every 2 years and farmers can lose approximately 30 percent of their crop value, which translates into approximately $420 million annually in the United States. Much is known about the biochemical process of PHS but little is understood about the genetics of PHS. Because its genetic nature is not well understood, few markers exist for breeders to use in developing resistant lines. ARS scientists in Wooster, OH, completed a survey of PHS resistance in a population of nearly 200 diverse soft wheat breeding lines over 3 years and over 2 years in a second, and a more diverse population of older varieties. Nine soft winter wheat varieties were identified as PHS-tolerant over multiple years under PHS-inducing conditions. These findings provide important information for breeders about varieties with tolerance to PHS and the potential for future breeding of PHS resistance. Potato postharvest quality evaluations and release of new potato cultivars. Acceptable processing quality after storage is an essential attribute of a successful potato variety. The standardized evaluation procedures developed and used by ARS scientists in East Grand Forks, MN, a worksite of the ARS research unit in Fargo, ND, have been an important component of the overall process for evaluation and release of new cultivars by Federal and State cooperators nationwide. In the past year, in support of Federal and non-Federal public breeding/screening programs, 139 advanced breeding lines were analyzed for storage/processing quality at multiple storage temperatures and durations. Since 2015, 17 chip clones and 14 fry processing clones identified in East Grand Forks to have superior storage quality have advanced through rigorous national variety testing platforms aimed at providing potato industry stakeholders a high-quality processed potato product throughout storage. Data from these analyses have contributed to the national release of new potato varieties with superior processing quality throughout storage. Evaluation of blueberry genetic resources identifies fruit fly resistance. Spotted wing drosophila fruit fly appeared in the United States in 2009 and now causes more than $511 million in damage annually to fruit production in Western states. ARS scientists from Corvallis, OR, and Poplarville, MS, searched blueberry genetic resources for resistance to that fruit fly. Twenty-nine blueberry species were tested with a bioassay for resistance to feeding by the fruit fly larvae and adults. Ten blueberry species were resistant to feeding by the fruit fly; three of those species are indigenous to East Asia, in the fruit fly’s native range. Blueberry species from Central and South America were also resistant. Most highbush blueberry cultivars were susceptible, but rabbiteye and other blueberry cultivars with smaller, firmer fruit types were resistant. These findings will enable blueberry breeders to identify parental lines to cross and produce new blueberry cultivars resistant to this fruit fly.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov