Southern US Agriculture Is Filling Your Holiday Shopping Cart
By Ruth Hohl Borger
University of Florida
With the holiday season, Americans prepare for family dinners, gatherings and neighborhood potlucks. As they shop, they’ll fill their grocery carts with delicious and nutritious foods developed by animal and plant breeders at land-grant universities — many from across the southern United States.
Scientists at 15 agricultural research centers at these universities work to improve the variety of foods available as well as to enhance their nutritional value and production efficiency.
From protein-packed rice to longer-lasting potatoes to domestically grown vanilla and a better-tasting blackberry, southern plant breeders are ensuring that Americans’ holiday tables are filled with tasty and nutritious foods. Here are some examples of recent advances:
LSU AgCenter: Rice and Sweet Potatoes
As more Gulf Coast consumers learn of the potential benefits of locally grown high-protein, low-glycemic index rice (making it ideal for people with diabetes and other health concerns that might prevent them from eating conventional rice), researchers at the LSU AgCenter’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station are expanding efforts to develop cultivars with even greater nutritional advantages. Two scientists — molecular geneticist Herry Utomo, the F. Avalon Daggett endowed professor, and biotechnologist Ida Wenefrida, associate professor — spent seven years developing the special rice cultivar released under the variety moniker, Frontière. Now, using traditional mutational rice breeding techniques, they hope to further improve protein content, yield output and market diversity. Until now, the ubiquitous grain crop typically contained 6-7% protein. Frontière contains 10.6%, Wenefrida said. The next echelon the pair hopes to reach is 12% protein, which would mark a 100% protein increase over traditional cultivars.
We can’t help it. When we go to the grocery store, we always take a bee line to the produce section to check out the sweet potatoes. Chances are someone is there picking up a couple of roots for dinner. Consumption has more than doubled and then some in a few short years. One constant with the sweet potato breeding program is the demand for varieties with superior yield and quality. Sweet potatoes are an expensive crop to produce. However, they are a profitable crop when environmental and pest management issues cooperate. Sweet potato producers face many challenges in any given year, and a high yielding, consistent variety is a baseline necessity to remain competitive in the marketplace.
Contact: Tobie Blanchard, tblanchard@agcenter.lsu.edu
Fort Valley State University: Beef Cattle
Fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) provides a practical and feasible option for commercial and stud breeders to implement artificial insemination (AI) into their herds as 100 percent of the herd can be inseminated at a predetermined time. FTAI can suit many herds whether they are inseminating small numbers or the whole herd. Fort Valley State University showed that both inseminator and sire affected the pregnancy rates and birth outcomes after AI in beef cattle. This study was conducted to support the establishment of a purebred Black Angus beef herd at FVSU with the application of AI. For more information, contact Dr. Adel Moawad at (478) 825-4611 or adel.moawad@fvsu.edu.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac247.042
Contact: Latasha Ford. (478) 825-4307, fordl@fvsu.edu
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Better Lettuce
Often referred to as leafy greens, lettuce and other similar vegetables are a common source of foodborne illnesses. The contamination of lettuce with Escherichia coli O157:H7, also known as EcO157, has been a grave concern for decades. Causing numerous cases of illness and death, this strain of E. coli threatens both public health and a U.S. industry valued at more than $2 billion annually. To address this threat, researchers at the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety are preparing to launch a study on E. coli colonization from a new angle: the microbiome of lettuce. New UGA study will look to lettuce microbes for food safety solutions
Contact: Jordan Powers, Office: 706-542-4274 | Mobile: 630-470-5136, jpowers@uga.edu
Texas A&M AgriLife: Spinach, Potatoes and Peanuts
From farm to market, Texas A&M AgriLife’s plant breeding programs strive to bring delicious and nutritious foods to homes across the U.S. Our research initiatives work to improve every aspect of the food supply chain. As we enter the holiday season, here are some recent ways that Texas A&M AgriLife may be improving the food you see on your tables.
Improvements to organic spinach productivity and quality - Spinach, one of the most popular, nutrient-rich staple vegetables, has notoriously high pesticide residues when conventionally grown. To create an organic alternative that grows more spinach for less input, a Texas A&M AgriLife plant systems physiologist is developing varieties with an improved nutraceutical profile and nitrogen-use efficiency. This will enhance the productivity and quality of the spinach variety and potentially provide families with lowered costs for organic spinach at the grocery store.
Texas A&M AgriLife breeding new varieties of potatoes - New potato varieties bred by Texas A&M AgriLife could enter the french fry market before long, the first time Texas is able to break into this market. This breeding effort is a part of the Southwestern Regional Potato Cultivar Development Project, a multi-state project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
New heart-healthy peanut varieties – From snack mixes to favorite holiday candy recipes, peanuts are a staple at this time of the year. Texas A&M AgriLife peanut breeders have announced the release of two new varieties, Tamrun OL18L and Tamrun OL19. These varieties are high-oleic, meaning they have both a longer shelf life and are better for the coronary health of the consumer.
Contact: Kay Ledbetter, kay.ledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture: Aromatic Rice and Blackberries
ARoma 22 is the latest aromatic rice variety released by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. ARoma 22 represents a step change in quality for Southern Jasmine rice. It has a pleasing, buttery aroma, excellent color consistency and a smooth texture. This Arkansas-developed variety opens new markets for Midsouth rice farmers, with a high yield and the potential for a competitive return on investment. New Jasmine-Type Aromatic Rice Line Released by Arkansas Rice Breeding Program as Demand Heats Up
Ponca, a new blackberry variety from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, offers the pinnacle of flavor from one of the world’s leading public blackberry breeding programs. Ponca is the 20th blackberry from the fruit breeding program of the division’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said John R. Clark, fruit breeder and Distinguished Professor of horticulture for the Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas’ Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. New blackberry from Division of Agriculture achieves pinnacle of flavor (uada.edu)
Contact: Nick Kordsmeier. nkordsme@uark.edu, 479-575-6368
Clemson University: Butterbeans, Corn, Collard Greens, and Peach Cobbler
Butterbeans and corn make appearances as side dishes on Thanksgiving tables and Clemson researchers, Jenna Hershberger and Bruce McLean, are carrying on the late Tony Melton’s study to produce heat-tolerant butterbeans. Butterbeans, like most beans, self-pollinate. This means flowers on a bean plant pollinate before they open. Jackson Wonder is the speckled butterbean variety most common in South Carolina. Hot temperatures are ideal for plant growth, but problems start when night temperatures rise above 75 degrees. In addition to learning about heat tolerance in butterbeans, Hershberger is studying to understand and improve flavor and nutritional quality in both butterbeans and sweet corn. This research is in the early stages of evaluating germplasm.
Researchers Sandra Branham and Patrick Wechter at the Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, South Carolina, have developed a cornucopia of collard greens in a myriad of colors from deep dark green to brilliant purple. All are being bred with resistance to one of the South’s most devastating diseases of these tasty brassica leafy greens, bacterial leaf blight. For a tasty side dish, these collards are sure to be one of the most popular dishes on the table as Sandra Branham, Clemson vegetable breeder and geneticist, says “the flavor of these new collards are as delicious as they are beautiful.”
Peach cobbler is a mainstay on many Thanksgiving and holiday menus and Greg Reighard, Clemson University professor emeritus of horticulture, is leading a study to ensure peach cobblers adorn Thanksgiving tables for years to come. Reighard is leading a multistate fruit production study that focuses on rootstocks and root systems. This research addresses high priorities within the crosscutting research areas of agricultural production, processing, distribution, genetic resource development and manipulation, integrated pest management, as well as economic development and policy. Economic viability of growers will be enhanced through improved selection of rootstocks that lead to greater production efficiency and improved fruit quality. Orchard labor and land will be utilized more efficiently, with fewer tree losses to pests and environmental stresses, leading to a faster and greater return on investment. https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-researcher-trying-to-revive-staple-of-southern-supper-tables/
Contact: Jonathan Veit, veit @clemson.edu
Mississippi State University: Rice
Mississippi State University scientists in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station have released a new high-performing rice variety, Leland, which is resistant to blast disease, the most prevalent rice disease in the world. Its outstanding overall grain quality meets the preferences of millers, exporters, and consumers alike, both in the U.S. and abroad. In a double-blind grain quality evaluation test conducted by 10 major U.S. rice millers and exporters, and coordinated by the USA Rice Federation, Leland was one of only two among 17 upcoming or released varieties evaluated that garnered near-universal acceptance (9 of 10 participating millers/exporters) for domestic use, processing and export. https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2022/03/msu-researchers-develop-high-performing-rice-variety-resistant-major
Contact: Karen Brasher, 662.325.8530, karen.brasher@msstate.edu
University of Florida/IFAS: Tomatoes, Strawberries and Vanilla
Tasti-Lee™ tomatoes, developed at the University of Florida, practically have “taste” already in their name. Still, you can always improve tomato flavor. University of Florida scientists, including Denise Tieman, are finding traits they think will tempt consumers with flavor that triggers their senses even more. They’re making progress on improving Tasti-Lee™ — and it will feature improved flavor and aroma. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2019/08/21/uf-ifas-researchers-close-in-on-a-tastier-tomato/
When you look it, you see a mostly white fruit. But make no mistake – it is a strawberry. Vance Whitaker, a professor of horticultural sciences at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, bred the white strawberry. Some call it a “pineberry,” because it tastes a bit like a pineapple. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2020/12/01/white-strawberry-one-of-two-new-uf-ifas-varieties-ready-for-harvest-season/
If you want to find the best taste and smell, you have to find the right genes. Alan Chambers, a plant geneticist at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, has developed a tool to unlock the traits that pinpoint the vanilla variety that produces an abundance of beans, grows efficiently and sustainably – and consumers like how it tastes.https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2020/12/11/cracking-the-code-on-growing-vanilla-dna-mystery-uncovered-by-latest-uf-ifas-research-in-south-florida/
Contact: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu
Oklahoma State University: Wheat and Cattle
The OSU Wheat Improvement Team are always working on creating stronger, higher quality wheat varieties. OSU wheat researchers have recently been breeding wheat varieties with exceptionally high gluten quality, excellent yield, and reliable disease resistance. New lines are being bred for the purpose of maximizing the strength of the gluten. Higher gluten quality could mean more profitability for producers, and when combined with high disease-resistance, it could mean an increase in yields. https://news.okstate.edu/articles/agriculture/2022/osu-on-the-forefront-of-developing-higher-quality-wheat.html
While cattle producers with high quality management and production practices are seeing an increase in milk production and improved growth and carcass traits, they are also seeing more cattle deaths toward the end of their finishing period. OSU scientists hope to change that by comparing the immune responses of cattle selected for high growth versus moderate growth or high milk rate versus low milk rate in both spring and fall calving herds. Their analysis will determine if cattle selected for certain traits have a higher immune system function than cattle selected for different traits when exposed to environmentally stressful conditions. https://agresearch.okstate.edu/announcements/ag-research/research-how-to-improve-cattle-selection-practices.html
Contact: Alisa Gore, alisa.gore@okstate.edu
These institutions are part of a system of 15 agricultural research centers at land-grant universities in the southern U.S. where scientists collaborate to conduct research and outreach focused on conserving the region’s natural resources and sustainably feeding a growing global population.