The genetics research program involves gaining a better understanding of the genetics and breeding behavior of cranberry.
Most cranberry fruits look very similar.
Over time, cultivated bogs have become contaminated with non-cultivar types. Contamination can come from many sources including encroachment of cultivated bogs by wild-types and establishment of seedlings from dropped fruit. These situations have created problems in the industry when attempting to characterize a particular cultivar for cultural attributes. Each cultivar has a unique RAPD fingerprint. We can now determine the extent of contamination in any given bog to help determine if variation in cultural characteristics has a genetic or environmental basis.