Breeder Spotlight: Jim Olmstead and Jessica Gilbert
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In our Breeder Spotlight Series, we interview blueberry and cranberry breeders to learn more about their roles, challenges in their breeding programs, and have them highlight some of their favorite new cultivars. In this spotlight, we spoke to Jim…
Oregon State University Blueberry Field Day 2022
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On July 20, 2022, Oregon State University hosted their Blueberry Field Day. The event was an opportunity for the community to learn about current blueberry research at OSU, as well as try the latest fruit selections from the USDA/OSU cooperative breeding…
A Chromosome-Scale Assembly of the Bilberry Genome Identifies a Complex Locus Controlling Berry Anthocyanin Composition
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Welcome to VacCAP for All, a series that brings you VacCAP research summarized into accessible, everyday language. This issue’s write-up is courtesy of Dr. David Chagné, Co-PI and Science Group Leader of Molecular & Digital Breeding at Plant &…
Get To Know VacCAP Team Member Dr. Claire Luby
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Dr. Claire Luby is the newest Co-PD to join the VacCAP team. She is a Plants Research Geneticist at the USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Unit in Corvallis, Oregon, USA, where the lab focuses on blueberry breeding and genetics. We spoke with Luby…
Breeder Spotlight: Ed Grygleski
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In our Breeder Spotlight Series, we interview blueberry and cranberry breeders to learn more about their roles, challenges in their breeding programs, and have them highlight some of their favorite new cultivars. In this spotlight, we spoke to Ed…
Student Spotlight: Heeduk Oh
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In our Student Spotlight Series, we want to introduce you to the students who help make VacCAP possible through their passion and hard work. In this segment, get to know Heeduk Oh, a PhD student at North Carolina State University with advisors Dr.…
Some Assembly Required: How the VacCAP Team Is Developing the First Vaccinium Pangenome
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Cranberry synteny. Comparison of the LGs of the F1#10 and W85-23 parental maps. Linkage groups are numbered according to the homologous LGs in the Schlautman et al. 2015a) cranberry map, and links are drawn between common markers in each of the…
Breaking Down Fruit Quality - Texture and Its Role in Blueberry
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A new blueberry release, Creativa, from Fondazione Edmund Mach. Photo contributed by Giongo. We often talk about how fruit quality is key when developing better blueberries. But what does fruit quality actually mean, and how is the Vaccinium…
New Imaging Methods Help Researchers Find Blueberry Cultivars Resistant To Bruising
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Bruising is a persistent problem plaguing the blueberry industry. At this time, fruit damaged by mechanical harvesting should not be sold to the fresh market. This hinders export opportunities and forces the industry to rely on expensive labor for…
Fighting Fruit Rot: Dr. Nicholi Vorsa’s Breeding Program Focuses on Developing Resistant Cranberry Cultivars
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New Jersey is well known for many things: Bruce Springsteen, boardwalks, diners. But it also known as a hot spot for cranberry fruit rot.  ‘Budd’s Blues’ (left), one of the four fruit rot resistant selections, compared to a susceptible cultivar (…