Project Number: S-009 Project Title: Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization Period Covered: 08/2011 through 8/2012 Date of this Report: September 6, 2012 Annual Meeting Dates: July 31 – August 1, 2012 Participants: www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9514 Minutes: www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9514 Accomplishments and Impacts: USDA – Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit

Plant genetic resources collected or obtained from throughout the world are valuable sources of genetic diversity for use in agronomic and horticultural crop improvement programs in the U.S. This project forms part of a comprehensive nationwide program, National Plant Germplasm System, to preserve plant genetic resources for use today and for use by future generations. The primary objectives of this project are 1). To conserve genetic resources and associated information for a broad spectrum of crops and related species; 2). To develop and apply new or improved evaluation procedures and marker-based approaches to assess diversity of genetic resources in the collections and evaluate materials for useful traits; and 3). To transfer technology to researchers and plant breeders in the Southern Region and worldwide in the form of plant genetic resources and associated information. Seed and clonal genetic resources acquired, maintained, characterized, evaluated, documented, and distributed by this project will provide researchers with a broad range of clearly-identified crop genetic diversity to utilize. This broad genetic diversity enables research programs to efficiently produce new cultivars, develop new knowledge, discover value-added uses, and preserve food security for the general public.

This project has grown from 811 accessions of 41 genera in 1949 to the largest collection of the four NPGS regional multistate projects with 91,259 accessions of 258 genera and 1,548 species in 2012. In 2011, a total of 32,512 seed, tissue culture, and clonal accessions were distributed to researchers and educators at universities, private companies, agricultural and medical research foundations, seed conservatories, federal agencies, farmer-owned cooperatives, and foreign universities and companies. All accessions were requested from the Griffin location directly by researchers and distributed in 946 orders to users in 47 states and 45 foreign countries with 18,233 accessions distributed to users in the Southern Region. Genetic resources maintained at the Griffin location are in great demand by the research community and provide a valuable resource for crop improvement research. The quantity and quality of plant genetic resources maintained at Griffin make this location one of the leaders in the National Plant Germplasm System. Vigna:

Roy Pittman, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, served as the Vigna curator. Cowpea regeneration was conducted in the field and greenhouse in 2011. A total of 16 lines were increased in the greenhouse in Griffin, 54 lines were increased in the field, and 50 lines were increased in Puerto Rico. Digital images of seeds and flowers were taken on regeneration plants. These images are posted on GRIN for use by breeders and other researchers. Peanut: Seed increases were conducted for 725 cultivated peanut accessions by Noelle Barkley, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, with regenerations at three locations in GA and locations in Raleigh NC, Stillwater OK, Citra FL, and Brownfield TX. Standard descriptor data was recorded for the 725 accessions regenerated. Digital scans were collected for all pods and seeds regenerated. About 242 clonal accessions of 40 Arachis species were maintained in the greenhouse. The high oleic acid trait in peanut is an important seed quality trait of great interest in peanut cultivar development. ARS researchers at Griffin, GA, compared three different methods used by researchers to detect the high oleic acid trait. The genotyping method and capillary electrophoresis method were the most compatible methods in detecting high oleic acid peanuts, while the near infrared method was not as effective. These data provide information on the accuracy of high oleic acid detection for breeders who employ different platforms for detection. Grasses:

The warm-season grass germplasm collection was improved over the past year by Melanie Harrison-Dunn, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit mainly through acquisition, regeneration, and characterization efforts. A total of 92 accessions of 45 different warm-season grass species were successfully regenerated and submitted to seed storage for long term preservation. Basic descriptor data and plot\flower images were collected and submitted for upload to GRIN for accessions grown in the field as well. Characterization efforts included salt tolerance testing of the zoysia collection; collection of flower image data for the bermudagrass clonal collection; and herbicide resistance screening in 50 accessions. Six clonal little bluestem lines were evaluated in the field for ornamental cultivar development. Long-term maintenance of 411 warm-season grass clonal accessions was continued in the greenhouse with an additional 47 napiergrass accessions maintained in the field. A total of 24 bermudagrass accessions were maintained in tissue culture. Native warm-season grasses are currently of interest to users for habitat restoration, biofuel use, or ornamental use. A total of 90 native switchgrass, deertongue, Florida paspalum, indiangrass, and sea oats accessions were acquired for the U.S. warm-season grass collection. Also, a plant collection trip in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina added 14 switchgrass, and 3 indiangrass accessions to the collection. These grasses will provide users with greater genetic variability needed for their breeding and research program. Clovers, New Crops, Misc. Legumes, and Misc. Crops:

A total of 101 tropical/subtropical legumes and 20 castor, sesame, and other misc. crops were regenerated in the field at Griffin by Brad Morris, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit. An additional 20 Leuceana leucocephala and 20 winged bean accessions were increased in St. Croix. A total of 16 photoperiod-sensitive Neonotonia wightii and 29 Hibiscus spp. accessions were regenerated in the greenhouse. A large collection of legumes collected by Albert Kretchmer, University of Florida, who retired several years ago are being evaluated for

incorporation into the collection. A total of 127 self-pollinated annual clover accessions were regenerated in the field in Byron, GA, and in the greenhouse at Griffin by Gary Pederson, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit. A total of 675 accessions of 125 annual clover species were obtained from the University of Kentucky and will be entered into GRIN as the Norman Taylor University of Kentucky special collection. A number of oil seed crops are under evaluation for potential biofuel or bioproducts use, however little information is available on the genetic variability for oil content among plant genetic resources of these crops. ARS researchers at Griffin, GA identified two accessions from 329 Hibiscus accessions with higher oil content of over 22%. Also, one Hibiscus accession was identified with much greater vernolic acid content, which may be used for industrial oil production. These accessions have potential for breeding Hibiscus with greater, high quality oil production for use in developing new bioproducts. Sorghum: Gary Pederson, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, is serving as acting sorghum curator. Regeneration of sorghum accessions in St. Croix and Puerto Rico continued in coordination with ARS cooperators, Ricardo Goenaga and Alfredo Quiles. A total of 1,680 accessions were sent to St. Croix for regeneration in 2011 and seed from regenerations of 1,659 accessions has been sent to Griffin. In addition, a total of 90 boxes of sorghum seed from past Puerto Rico regenerations are being incorporated into the sorghum germplasm collection. A plant collection trip in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina added 39 naturalized Sorghum halepense to the collection. Data on 100-seed weight of sorghum accessions were added as a descriptor on GRIN. Vegetable Crops:

Bob Jarret, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, regenerated 150 accessions of the Capsicum spp. (chile pepper) germplasm collection in the field and greenhouse and characterized an additional 120 chile pepper accessions. Also, 32 accessions of other vegetable crops were regenerated. A total of 753 sweetpotato accessions were maintained in tissue culture. Over 200 pepper accessions were grown in California for characterization and recording of digital images.

Chili peppers are cultivated primarily for their fresh fruit; however, a market exists for the oil extracted from pepper seed. Little information is available on variability among the various types and species of chili pepper for the amount of oil present in seed or the composition of the oil. In a study at Griffin, seed oil content varied greatly from 11 to 36% among 250 accessions of nine chili pepper species, with Capsicum annum having higher average seed oil content than other species. Linoleic acid was the predominant fatty acid present in seed of all species, though differences in seed fatty acid composition among species were observed. These results will facilitate research exploring the potential of chili pepper as an oil seed crop. Biochemical and Molecular Evaluations:

Ming Li Wang, Noelle Barkley, and others, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, completed evaluation of 411 FAD2-known-genotype peanut accessions (55 germplasm accessions + 356 F8 progenies) grown for two years by biochemical analysis. FAD2 genotyping, oil content, and fatty acid profiles were collected on the S and T peanut populations (550 individuals) to map the genes and to detect any quantitative traits for fatty acids, oil content, and morphological characters. These data provided information on the location of genes associated with oil content and fatty acids.

Two sweet sorghum accessions producing high yield of stem sugars were identified. In collaboration with ARS scientists at Lubbock, TX, these two accessions are being used as parents to develop sweet sorghum hybrids for bio-ethanol production. In collaboration with Kansas State University, 1,000 biomass sorghum accessions were genotyped by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis. From this analysis, 300 accessions were selected and will be grown in the field at three locations for two years. Pumpkin species are widely cultivated for seed that produces a high quality oil, however little information is available on species variability for seed oil content or composition. In a study at Griffin, average oil content was observed to be similar in two pumpkin species, but one subspecies (Cucurbita argyrosperma subsp. argyrosperma var. callicarpa) had greater seed oil content than others evaluated. Linoleic acid was identified as the predominant fatty acid in all samples analyzed of the two pumpkin species. These accessions will be used by researchers interested in developing pumpkin cultivars as an oil seed crop. Germplasm Maintenance:

Prior to 2002, seed samples of over 84,000 accessions of plant genetic resources maintained at the Griffin location had not been tested for germination and the quality of seed distributed to researchers was not known. A concentrated effort was made to conduct germination tests on this large collection. Currently germination tests have been completed for 73,274 accessions (81.5% of the collection) including almost all available accessions of pepper, watermelon, eggplant, peanut, annual clovers, mung bean, sesame, pearl millet, and castor bean and 53-85% of all accessions of sorghum, cowpea, and warm-season grasses. This germination testing enables curators to properly identify accessions with poor quality seed that need to be regenerated resulting in better quality seed being distributed to researchers upon request.

Biosecurity and availability of plant genetic resources are of major concern to the U.S. agricultural research community. Backing up germplasm by maintaining accessions at two sites reduces the risk of losing valuable germplasm. A total of 88,669 accessions (97.2% of collection) have been deposited for safety back up at the National Center for Genetic Resource Preservation, Ft. Collins, CO and 87.8% of the accessions are available for use by the research community. Additionally, 8,769 accessions (10% of the collection) are also backed up at the Global Seed Bank in Svalbard, Norway. Backing up safely secures these plant genetic resources for future use by researchers and good availability provides users with a wide array of currently available germplasm.

Most plant genetic resources in genebanks are maintained under short-term (4C) rather than long-term (-18C) storage temperatures, which increases the need for frequent seed regeneration that can reduce genetic variability. At Griffin, original seed and seed of species rarely requested are maintained solely at -18 C. Other accessions are maintained as split samples with the bulk of the seed maintained at -18 C and a small distribution sample maintained at 4 C. When needed, seed will be removed from the -18 C sample to replenish the distribution sample. Currently, 19% of the accessions are maintained solely at -18 C and 74.8% of the accessions (67,241 accessions) have at least one inventory in -18C long-term storage. New storage facilities will enable most seed of the entire collection at Griffin to be stored in long-term storage. These plant genetic resources will remain viable longer with reduced need for regeneration and better retention of genetic variability of the original sample for users. Alabama

Legumes: Forage and Cover Crops Current work focuses on evaluation, utilization and breeding of sunn hemp and sericea lespedeza. Auburn University and the Ala. Agric. Expt. Stn. released the sunn hemp cultivars AU Golden and AU Durbin. They were developed using germplasm for use in the continental US and other temperate climates but they can also be used in tropical environments. These cultivars can be used as fodder and as cover crops. Sericea lespedeza is being evaluated for control of gastrointestinal parasites in ruminants and for condensed tannin content. Evaluations are being done in cooperation with colleagues at Auburn, GA, LS, AR, and USDA at several locations. Upland cotton Current work focuses on evaluation, utilization and breeding of upland cotton. Cotton accessions continue to be evaluated for resistance to heat and drought. We have fine-tuned our evaluation process, and have been able to get repeatable results for increased tolerance to heat at both vegetative and reproductive stages. We have begun the process of evaluating advanced lines from crosses between putative heat tolerant accessions and adapted germplasm in the field, and we will continue with these populations in the growth chamber. We have concluded a study on the impact of exotic germplasm introgression on cotton yield and fiber quality traits, and manuscript preparation is in progress. Florida The state of Florida was very active in 2011 for plant genetic resources distribution. According to records provided by S-9, 29 different individuals requested materials from 19 different genera of plants and a total of 2,532 unique PIs distributed. Affiliation of individuals obtaining materials included University of Florida scientists, USDA scientists, private research organizations, private citizens, and public schools. Most individuals who responded to a request for information indicated a high level of satisfaction with materials provided and appreciation for the availability of the germplasm. Listed below are reports submitted by cooperators. Robert Beiriger, University of Florida, EREC provided the following on the use of corn germplasm. The sweet corn and silage corn breeding program received the following germplasm in 2011. PI 654048 PI 654049 PI 654050 PI 654051 PI 654052 PI 654053 PI 648426 PI 648427 PI 648428 PI 648429 PI 648430 PI 648433

PI 498583 The above lines were planted out in the fall of 2011 and the spring of 2012 to test for their disease tolerance to several corn disease, insects and to see how well they would perform in our south Florida production system. Disease tested against including southern rust, common rust, southern corn leaf blight, northern corn leaf blight, Fusariums and/or other seedling rots. Insect tested against are mainly the fall armyworm and silk fly. These lines were also tested at high populations, under heavy weed pressure and high herbicide rates. Several of the better lines were or will be crosses to high yielding, northern dent types and then selfed to produce inbreds that hopefully will have good disease resistance and be a high yielding. PI 587134 PI 644100 AMES 23469 AMES 28364 These lines are being used as reference lines as we collect data to PVP our two new inbreds. Leon Brannon provided this report on Bambara seed. My intention for the Bambara seed was to introduce this crop to the American public. I attempted to grow a small crop in South Florida to test production and acceptance. My results have been sad. Out of 250+ seeds, I have only 2 plants surviving. At 30 days +, I noticed browning on some tender leaves. 30 days later, all the leaves were brown. The stems continued to seem green, so I left them a while longer. I pulled a few and examined the stem above the roots. I found a withered, dry area on the main stem. I broke it open and found dry fibrous material. My experience with cabbage and other crops would indicate Fusarium. We have experienced “yellows” in coconut palms, bananas and cycads. The two remaining plants show some slow growth. Salvador Gezan, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL reported that his main activities with germplasm are related to analyzing data from genetic experiments. The main species I work with are Pinus taeda and Pinus elliottii, which are part of the CFGRP and FBRC cooperatives. In addition, I have supported other programs within the University of Florida, including Bean (for Horticulture) and Clam (for Fisheries). Most of the activities include analyzing filed trials to obtain breeding values for future selections (backward and forward) and I design many of these experiments. Other activities include support on statistical analysis to post-docs- graduate students and faculty on research projects associated with these species. Dennis Gray, University of Florida, Mid-Florida REC, Apopka, FL provided this report on grape improvement. I conduct research on grape improvement, mainly by using biotechnological approaches such as genetic engineering. In this, I use a variety of grape germplasm from several species and hybrids. All of the research is ongoing and nothing has yet been released. A current project is funded by the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative. It entails developing muscadine grape varieties that possess the traits of seedlessness and/or fruit rot resistance. This project is just getting underway. In addition to current research, I also evaluated germplasm from the now defunct UF grape breeding program in a variety trial. Based on the results of the trial, I released the muscadines ‘Delicious’ and ‘Southern Jewel’. Fred Gmitter, University of Florida, Citrus REC, Lakeland, FL, provided this report on his use of citrus accessions. I have used pollen from a handful of citrus accessions in the UCR Citrus

Variety Collection, which serves as the field collection for the national citrus repository. I have also received seeds from a handful of accessions, to test for tolerance to HLB (aka greening). David Goodman, a Master Gardener in Marion County, provided this report on his use of PIs. PI 553076 - NC7 - Amaranthus australis This specimen is still in storage due to my testing another variety of Amaranth this year. Avoiding cross-breeding was a primary consideration. Tests on-hold. PI 601538 - NSGC - Avena sativa Planted small patch in enriched soil in early February. Growth was rapid, then slacked off as heat increased. Poor overall seed yield. Likely not a good choice for this region. Planting in late Fall may prove to bring better yields, however. PI 497265 - S9 - Arachis duranensis This specimen is still in storage. Planting is planned for next year. PI 405476 - S9 - Hibiscus cannabinus This accession was planted in both sun and shade. The germination rate was lower than expected, as is plant size. From March, the growth has now reached 6' overall, though wind has pushed the specimens down. With luck, seed will be produced later in the year and more extensive field tests can take place. My desire is to cultivate this species for rapid biomass creation/chop-and-drop mulch for nearby fruit trees. This variety, however, also has an unfortunate similarity in appearance to a certain THC-containing plant that may bring it negative attention from visitors. (So far, my work with the unrelated Tithonia diversifolia has been more encouraging as a biomass producer.) PI 281767 - S9 - Leucaena hybrid This tree is of particular interest since it has the capability to grow rapidly, fix nitrogen and act as a "nurse tree" to nearby species. My main desire with this particular variety is to see if it can be brought to maturity in zone 8b/9a via cold protection, then used for animal fodder and a ground-nurturing pioneer species while simultaneously being limited in its invasive tendencies by our periodic freezes. Trees are taking hold slowly, though I believe they'll hit their growth spurt as the rains continue. Dr. Kevin Kenworthy, Department of Agronomy, University of Florida has utilized material from plant genetic resources in some of his research. Argentine (PI 148996) and Wilmington (PI 434189) bahiagrass mutagens have been identified for their putative improved turf quality. Seventy lines have been selected and planted into replicated studies for further evaluation. The evaluation and development of sting nematode responses continues to involve several bermudagrass PIs (PI 289922, PI 290868, PI 290872, PI 290895, and PI 291590). In collaboration with North Carolina State University several PIs of St. Augustine grass have been evaluated for their ploidy level using root squashes, pollen mother cells, and flow cytometry. Robert Kluson, University of Florida, extension agent provided a report on his investigation of Lespedeza. I requested 6 accessions of Lespedeza cuneata as part of my small livestock Extension program. I’m soon planting these seeds for seed increase purposes. Afterwards I intend to setup trials with cooperators from the SW FL Small Farmers Network (SWFSFN) - see http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/AG/swfsfn.shtml) - in our ongoing, participatory research program. We are responding to the goat farmers of SWFSFN who are interested in the benefits of Serecia lespedeza as a natural dewormer. One of the first questions to answer is which accession goes

best in our growing zone and location. To this end, I requested seed from the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit at Griffin, GA, to answer this question. I’m very appreciative of this service as an invaluable resource for the success of my Extension program with the SWFSFN which has won a national SARE award. Huangjun Lu, University of Florida, EREC, Everglades, FL provided this report on lettuce and St. Augustine grass breeding. The lettuce breeding program at the Everglades Research and Education Center of the University of Florida/IFAS evaluated a total of 88 germplasm lines and adapted cultivars for response to foliar feeding of banded cucumber beetles in the field. Two lines (70096 and 60185) were found to be resistant to the insect pest and have been used as parents in a number of crosses to develop new resistant cultivars. An F2 population of ‘Valmaine’ × ‘Okeechobee’ segregating for resistance to banded cucumber beetles was developed and used for genetic study of resistance. Screening of 97 F2 plants with the insect indicated that resistance in ‘Valmaine’ is governed by a single dominant gene which we have designated as Bcb1 (unpublished). In addition, our laboratory has developed a novel method for fast and accurate evaluation of lettuce germplasm for response to bacterial leaf spot disease. The 88 germplasm lines were inoculated with bacterial leaf spot. There were no lines having strong resistance to the disease, but some lines showed medium resistance similar to that of the resistant control ‘Little Gem’. The St. Augustine grass improvement program is focused on identification of resistance to southern chinch bug in St. Augustine grass. A total of 38 new lines derived from different cross combinations of germplasm lines were fed by southern chinch bugs in an insectarium room. Four lines were found to be resistant to the pest. Other traits such as agronomic traits and responses to diseases are currently being evaluated to determine the suitability of these chinch bug resistant lines to be released as new cultivars to be used in Florida home lawns and landscapes. In 2011-2012, four existing methods for screening resistance to chinch bug were compared with one another for usefulness of correctly identifying resistant lines. All methods distinguished the resistant cultivars from the susceptible control. More chinch bugs survived when feeding on live plants (tube and box tests) than feeding on excised plant stolons (jar and bag tests). Greg Macdonald, University of Florida, Agronomy Department, Gainesville, FL provided this report on his activities with GRIN. 1) My student Alyssa Cho is evaluating some breeding lines from Barry Tillman's program in Guyana for yield and disease resistance. 2) I am working with Dr. Noelle Barkley (Peanut Germplasm Collection) at USDA Griffin to perform regeneration of 360+ lines of peanut at PSREU. I have coordinated the effort through Jim Boyer. Barry Tillman is aware, but Dr. Barkley is working directly with Jim and myself on the establishment and evaluation of the lines. John Nance, Hazera Seeds, Inc. provided this report on his use of Watermelon germplasm. Our sample of germplasm was sent to Israel to incorporate PM resistance into our breeding lines. Work is ongoing in developing PM parents, and no papers have been written in regards to the project.

Ken Quesenberry, University of Florida, Agronomy Department, Gainesville, FL reports that a second year of an experiment to evaluate response to grazing defoliation of eight selected superior F1 hybrids from H. altissima crosses of PI 299995 (Bigalta) and PI 364888 (Floralta) was completed in 2011. In 2012 a new grazing experiment is underway with the goal of identifying one or more superior line for potential release. Dr. Quesenberry in cooperation with Dr. Ann Blount and Dr. Kevin Kenworthy is continuing evaluations of new apomictic forage bahiagrass hybrids and of other bahiagrass accessions that may have potential as utility turfgrass. A major focus of this research is improvement of seed quality in new hybrids. Further evaluation of apomictic vs sexual mode of reproduction of these selected bahiagrasses is in progress. Donald L. Rockwood, Professor Emeritus, University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation provided a report summarizing much of his career’s work. Fifty years of concerted effort by many players have developed eucalypts of typically satisfactory growth, freeze resilience, and site tolerance in most of peninsular Florida. In southern and into central Florida, Eucalyptus grandis seedlings from advanced generation orchards may be successfully deployed in most years. Five E. grandis cultivars (E.nergy™ G1, G2, G3, G4, G5), resulting from freeze resilience screening afforded by extreme winters, may extend the E. grandis planting zone into northeast Florida. For southern and central Florida, C. torelliana seed is now available from a 1st-generation seedling seed orchard. For northern and into central Florida, improved E. amplifolia seed is available. These species may be used for multiple products. Mulchwood is the current market for E. grandis and E. amplifolia, while E. grandis and particularly C. torelliana are used for windbreaks. Using SRWC systems, the productivities of these species are high, as will be required to meet feedstock demands when energywood markets develop. Genetic improvement is ongoing to increase growth and particularly to address freeze resilience and pest resistance needs. Collaboration will be beneficial for continued progress in realizing the attributes of Eucalyptus under Florida conditions. Jay Scott, Gulf Coast REC, Balm, FL reported on his research with tomato germplasm. Experiments to find QTL linked to bacterial spot (Xanthomonas perforans) race T4 derived from PI 114490 continued. We have identified several target QTL and now will conduct studies to confirm the value of these QTL. Mohamed Rakha, a Ph.D. student conducted extensive experiments to locate QTL associated with resistance to the sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) derived from LA 1777. He found only one of the four loci previously discovered showed resistance in his work. He also identified six other loci with three showing the strongest associations with resistance. We recently identified molecular markers linked to a begomovirus resistance gene derived from LA2779. This will allow us to do MAS in breeding for resistance. In cooperation with a lab in the Netherlands we have shown that Ty-1 and Ty-3 resistance genes from LA1969 and LA2779 are allelic. We have begun fine-mapping the Ty-4 gene from LA1932 as part of a BARD grant. We are fine-mapping a tomato spotted wilt resistance gene that was derived from LA1938. The tomato breeding program has cooperated with Plant Pathologist Dr. Gary Vallad in screening 120 PI and LA accessions for resistance to target spot (Corynespora cassiicola). Some had fair resistance and follow-up testing will be done with these. Jianping Wang, University of Florida, Agronomy Department, Gainesville, FL provided this update on her use of peanut germplasm. The peanut germplasm accessions, I requested, have

been planted in the greenhouse in year 2011 and in the field in year 2012 to identify the lines with traits, which are contrastive to Tiffrunner’s for genetic population construction. In addition, the disease resistance of the germplasm accessions will be evaluated in the field at Citra, FL to obtain the preliminary data for a research proposal on candidate gene association analysis. No publication has been resulted from the germplasm research yet. Vance Whitaker, University of Florida, Gulf Coast REC, Balm, FL reported on his evaluation of the Fragaria supercore collection for multiple traits. The goal of this project is to evaluate the 38 accessions of the Fragaria supercore collection maintained at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, OR for resistance to powdery mildew (PM) and two-spotted spider mite (TSM) in west-central Florida. In addition, many other traits have been evaluated both inside and outside of high tunnels including timing and extent of flowering, runner production and other disease traits. The first year’s data has been collected and a preliminary analysis conducted. A paper on the presence of two important flavor volatiles in the germplasm has been published. A second publication is in preparation for a related project on molecular diversity of strawberry using SSR markers which included DNA extracted from the supercore genotypes. One year of data showed a wide range of powdery mildew resistance among the supercore accessions from completely susceptible to completely resistant. Tolerance to spider mites in a tunnel environment was observed in some accessions but needs to be confirmed in a second year. There were also large differences in reproductive behavior, with some day-neutral accessions flowering within 3 weeks of planting (no chilling provided) while other accessions producing no flowers during the entire 5 month growing season. Five accessions were identified with adaptability to west-central Florida and were used in controlled crosses with UF genotypes. Georgia During 2011, sixty-nine different requests for plant germplasm were made to the S-009 Unit by citizens of Georgia. As a result of these requests, 614 plant accessions were supplied to University scientists, USDA scientists, consultants, seed companies, gardeners, and citizens of Georgia. The most requested crops were sorghum, warm-season grasses, peanut, and pepper. The University of Georgia maintains strong emphasis on plant breeding and continues to expand its advanced molecular biology programs. The Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics currently has 22 faculty members and 21 graduate students as well as many additional research scientists, and post-docs involved in various aspects of plant improvement. These programs supply new crop cultivars and associated technologies to our agricultural sector and rely heavily upon the plant materials maintained within the S-009 Unit. UGA currently has active cultivar development programs in soybean, peanut, small grains, cotton, turf grasses, forages, blueberries, pecan, grape, and numerous ornamental crops that frequently utilize the plant genetic resource collections. These cultivar development programs have released 10 cultivars since the beginning of 2011 (Table 1). In addition, research programs in crop science, horticulture, plant pathology, entomology and other disciplines continue to utilize the genetic resources of the S-009 Unit in both basic and applied research projects designed to address the needs of Georgia and U.S. agriculture.

For example, the entire available seashore paspalum (warm-season turfgrass) collection was screened for salt tolerance in 2010 and work is underway to develop molecular markers that could be used by breeding programs to improve salt tolerance in grasses. A large portion of the zoysiagrass collection was screened for salt tolerance earlier this year. Also, many accessions of the warm-season collection were recently evaluated through DNA sequencing of the presence of ACCase mutations known to confer resistance to ACCase inhibiting herbicides. This work could lead to the discovery of new mutations useful in developing herbicide resistance systems for turfgrass. In summary, the S-009 Unit remains a critical component of our research and cultivar development programs in Georgia. Table 1. Cultivar Releases from UGA Breeding Programs in 2011-2012 TH-819 ‘Georgia Dawn’ Blueberry Scott NeSmith Tift 10 Ornamental Grass Wayne Hanna Ilex cernata x I. maximowicziana 2-5 Ornamental Ilex John Ruter GA 052533 ‘Georgia-11J’ Peanut William Branch Selection #3 ‘Huffman’ Pecan Selection #34 ‘Treadwell’ Pecan Selection no. 72 ‘Tanner’ Pecan Darrel Sparks UGA31 ‘SeaStar’ Seashore Paspalum (Turf) Paul Raymer G04-1618RR Soybean Roger Boerma G04-2215RR Soybean Roger Boerma Ga. 5-1-54 Grape ‘Lane’ Vitis rotundiafolia x

Muscadinia rotundifolia Patrick Conner

GA 001138-8E36 Wheat Jerry Johnson GA 001138-8E36 Wheat Jerry Johnson Guam Plant collection, conservation and distribution: Zea mays (Guam Field Corn) Guam Field Corn (Zea mays) seeds were shipped to Lawerence J. Duponcheel, 4-H Youth Development Coordinator of the Island of Tinian of the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas for regeneration and conducting subsequent tests as a supplement in animal feeds. Originally those seeds were collected at the Guam Agricultural Experiment Station Yigo farm in 2005. Before the shipment on April 7, 2011, the germination test rate was 65%. Crotalaria juncea (PI 652939 SD, Texas 374) An attempt of regeneration of Crotalaria juncea (PI652939 SD, Texas 374) started in November 2010 and observation continued in January 2011. Plants produced flowers or flower buds but no seeds were formed even after attempts of hand pollination. Existence of a self-incompatibility is suspected by Dr. Brad Morris of USDA/ARS/PGRCU Griffin GA.

Artocarpus altilis Clones of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) ‘Ma'afala’ were obtained from Florida in 2011 for field evaluation in Guam. This cultivar was originally from Samoa and was selected for compact sized tree with early maturity. Plants have been grown at a nursery for future field planting during the rainy season of 2012. Jatropha curcas Seeds of five Jatropha curcas lines were obtained from Hawaii Agricultural Research Center in 2011. The origins of those lines are one from Honduras, one from Madagascar, one from India, and two from different locations of Hawaii. Plant evaluation will be conducted in 2012 for plant morphology and seed production in Guam. Evaluation of germplasm adaptation to Guam’s climate Crotalaria juncea The field trial of sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) was conducted with 14 accessions obtained from USDA/ARS/PGRCU, Griffin GA, and a local check (a Taiwan variety commonly used in Guam) in calcareous Guam cobbly clay soil (pH 7.8, RCB, 10 plant/plot; 4 replications) from 3/25/11 to 5/20/11 during the dry season. The germination rate ranged 37.5% to 85% on 4/10/11. Plant maturation rate and dry biomass production differed among germlines. The majority reached the reproductive stage at 30 days after sowing seeds except three accessions, PI 468956SD (Tropic Sun), PI 561720SD (IAC-1), and PI 234771SD that remained vegetative much longer ending up to acuminate much greater dry mass at harvest (Table 1). The result of late maturity of these accessions was consistent with the study conducted during the wet season of 2010, however only PI468956SD showed the consistent greater biomass production in both trials. Overall plant maturation was found much earlier in the study conducted during the shorter day-period in 2011. A heavy infestation by weevils, Myllocerus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was observed at the early stage of plant development and controlled by an insecticide. Harvested seeds were also infested severely by seed beetles. Early maturation was observed with accessions of PI 25048703SD (K679), and PI 32237703SD (IRI2473). Nodulation was observed in all plants on 5/20/11. Outcomes / Impact: Conservation and evaluation of important tropical plant germlines will support development of sustainable agriculture in the region. Searching for new germlines and commercial cultivars with heat tolerance and pest resistance will assist growers to choose locally adapted vegetables and green manure plants to sustain their manageable farming operation in Guam. Table 1. Dry biomass (leaves + stems), germination rate and the stage of plant development formation at harvest of 15 sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) accessions grown in calcareous Guam cobbly clay soil (pH=7.8) in Guam from March 25 to May 20, 2011.

Accession Average dry

biomass (g/plant) on

5/20/11(56DAP)

Average germination rate (%) on

4/10/12

Stage of plant development on 5/12/11(48DAP)

PI 234771 01 SD 277.3 a 65.0 Vegetative PI 468956 02 SD (Tropic Sun) 247.5 a 77.5 Vegetative

PI 561720 01 SD (IAC-1) 145.9 b 37.5 Vegetative PI 337080 03 SD 119.5 bc 82.5 Flower/seed formation PI 207657 03 SD 88.9 cd 85.0 Flowering PI 250487 03 SD (K681) 85.9 cd 67.5 Flower/seed formation PI 426626 01 SD (Sanni) 84.3 cd 75.0 Flower/seed formation PI 391567 01 SD (T’ai-yang-ma) 81.2 cd 70.0 Flower bud formation PI 219717 04 SD 76.5 cd 75.0 Seed formation PI 314239 03 SD (COL NO524) 68.4 cd 62.5 Flower/seed formation PI 346297 02 SD 67.6 cd 77.5 Flower/seed formation PI 322377 03 SD (IRI 2473) 67.3 cd 77.5 Seed formation PI 250485 05 SD (K679) 53.9 d 67.5 Seed formation Taiwan Variety 51.2 d 65.0 Flowering PI 250486 03 SD (K680) 46.5 d 60.0 Flower/seed formation Seeds were sown on 3/25/11 having 10 plants/plot with four replications. Average biomass amounts followed by same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level (Student’s t-test). Louisiana Seed of Desmanthus illinoensis received from the NPGS will be combined with other native materials and used for variety development. Malvaceae family species are being screened for odd-chain unsaturated fatty acids in their seed oils. These fatty acids were identified in the initial accessions and additional accessions will be screened. Interest exists to find higher concentrations of unusual odd-chain unsaturated fatty acids. Goal is to understand the role of alpha-oxidation in plants and can we develop cotton varieties with altered fatty acid composition; Thespesia populnea shows promise. Research on Ipomoea accessions include evolutionary ecology, molecular evolution and population genetics of genes involved in flower color, as well as the phylogenetic systematics of morning glories (species of the tribe Ipomoeae). Recent efforts include investigating the symbiotic relationship between ergot producing fungi and morning glories. Rice and red rice lines were used to investigate the genetics of photoperiodic flowering response. Fructescens lines are being evaluated for Tabasco pepper production and processing properties. Accessions of Hibiscus sabdariffa were evaluated for impact on the urban forest (M.S. research). New Ipomoea batatas germplasm was acquired from Uruguay for skinning resistance research. North Carolina Faculty in the Crop Science and Horticultural Science Departments at NC State University conduct research on strawberry, blueberry, brambles, tree crops, ornamentals, maize, soybean, peanut, cotton, tobacco, small grains, turfgrasses, sweet potato, cucurbits, and other crops. Priorities are on incorporating disease and insect resistance, abiotic stress resistance, and quality factors into improved breeding lines and cultivars. Plant introductions are critical components of plant improvement programs, and NCSU scientists make use of germplasm maintained in the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). During the past year, 12 individuals received 1,737 entries that were been introduced to NC from the Southern Regional Plant Introduction Station, including species of cultivated and wild peanut, sorghum, cowpea, pepper, sesame, watermelon, warm season grasses, eggplant, and Ipomoea. In addition, the Plant Breeding Center is supporting a large

group of plant breeding graduate students, many of whom are involved with plant germplasm collections. The U.S. collection of cultivated and wild Nicotiana species is maintained at NCSU and numerous seed requests have been received by U.S. and international individuals and organizations. The tobacco curator position was terminated by the administration and the cultivated and wild species no longer have personnel for maintenance and distribution. Thus, accessions are no longer being sent out to individuals or companies other than those that support the NCSU tobacco breeding program. The tobacco breeding program continues to develop hybrids for both the flue-cured and burley markets with enhanced disease and virus resistances. Transcription factors in tobacco and its effects on nicotine biosynthesis are also being studied. Collections of Arachis cultivars and wilds are being maintained at NC State University. An attempt is being made to create a duplicate collection of the Arachis species and there are currently 428 at NC State University of the 607 accessions in the USDA collection. In addition, the USDA peanut curator sent more than 250 accessions of cultivated and wild Arachis species for seed regeneration in North Carolina during the past year. The cultivated accessions had poor germination and a few did not produce any plants; seeds were harvested and returned to Griffin. About 170 Arachis species accessions were planted in a field nursery for seed increases and about 70 others were propagated in the greenhouse and harvested. Seeds of 110 accessions were sent to Griffin, totaling nearly 250,000 seeds. Fifty nine accessions for which there were few (less than 20) seeds were sent to NCSU for propagation and seed increase, but only 9 of the accessions germinated. We are attempting to document the numbers of wild peanut accessions being maintained at Texas A&M University, CENARGEN in Brazil, and ICRISAT to replace the lost accessions. Peanut breeding efforts are being made to pyramid genes for disease resistances into single genotypes, investigate the inheritance of Sclerotinia blight and tomato spotted wilt virus resistances, develop drought resistant genotypes, and higher yields. Both cultivated and wild species are being utilized in the breeding program, and the most advanced breeding lines have a significant amount of wild species germplasm in their pedigrees that are thought to be supplying genes for high levels of disease resistances. During the past year, ‘Bailey’ was released as a large-seeded Virginia market type cultivar. In addition, a multistate project is being conducted to create 6,400 recombinant inbred lines from crosses between 2 cultivars and 8 lines with an array of quality and disease resistance traits. Half of the materials are in the F7 generation and are being sampled for DNA and increased for seed distribution. With cooperators from Georgia, the first high density maps of A and B genome peanut species were created. The seed storage proteins in cultivated peanut were shown to be more complex than previous thought, which has significant implications for genetically solving the peanut allergy problem. The soybean breeding program has one state-supported and two USDA scientists who are concentrating on utilizing exotic germplasm to improve drought resistance. Significant progress has been made during recent years to increase yields of non-GMO cultivars. Large projects are being conducted to increase drought resistance in the cultivated soybean and to breed for altered fatty acid profiles.

The primary focus of research on cotton genetics and breeding is developing germplasm, genetic stocks, mapping and genomic resources for enhancing the cotton productivity. Interspecific hybrids involving secondary and tertiary gene pools were developed for introgressive breeding in cotton. A new and more efficient method for mitotic chromosome preparation compatible for fluorescent in situ hybridization also was developed. Components of hybrid cotton lint yield are dissected and a random mating population of 700 inbreds were developed and evaluated to identify superior genotypes with improved yield and fiber quality. By genotyping the upland cotton cultivars with molecular markers, genetic diversity in cotton is sampled to develop a nationwide effort on nested association mapping (NAM) in cotton. Two lines with improved yield fiber quality and fusarium resistance are being released as germplasm lines. The maize breeding program has one state-supported and two USDA scientists. In collaboration with Jesus Sanchez of the University of Guadalajara and Matt Krakowsky of the GEM project, it was discovered that several new dominant gametophytic factors exist in accessions of Mexican sweet corn. Projects are currently investigating several other Latin American accessions identified in the Allelic Diversity GEM project that failed to set seed as F1 hybrid females in backcrosses with standard lines. These have potential for use as isolating mechanisms for specialized crops (sweet corn, popcorn, organic corn). The GEM site at Iowa State, the Panzea site at Cornell, and the maize genetics site at Cornell all have data from the maize program at NC State University (http://statgen.ncsu.edu/panzea/ , http://www.panzea.org/, http://www.maizegenetics.net , and http://www4.ncsu.edu/~goodman/index.html). The Wheat Breeding program is utilizing wild species to introgress genes for scab and other diseases into the cultivated species. The Eastern Regional Small Grains Genotyping Laboratory at NCSU is involved in use of markers to characterize germplasm and deployment of genes/QTL by marker-assisted selection. A turfgrass breeding program has both biotechnology and cultivar improvement components. High throughput transformation protocols were developed for switchgrass and perennial ryegrass, and useful genes were transferred into these two species. Good results were also obtained in rice transformation for drought tolerance and in tall fescue transformation for disease resistance. The turfgrass breeder is working to improve the sustainability and economic gain of the overall turfgrass industry in the state through the development of cultivars that require reduced inputs and that are capable of tolerating biotic and environmental stresses while still maintaining good quality and overall performance. Specific projects include breeding for drought tolerance in tall fescue; breeding for cold tolerance in St. Augustine grass, and bermudagrass; evaluation of St. Augustine grass germplasm for gray leaf spot resistance; evaluation of zoysiagrass germplasm for large patch resistance; and developing EMS mutants in centipede grass. Research efforts are to utilize molecular markers to assess levels of molecular variability in different warm season grass species, improve selection methods for difficult/expensive to measure traits, and study the genetics of disease resistance in warm season grasses. The tomato breeding program at NC State University aims to improve tomato for fruit quality, disease resistance and stress tolerance by conventional and molecular breeding methods. Current emphasis is to combine resistances for early blight, late blight, fusarium wilt, bacterial wilt, tomato spotted wilt virus, tomato mosaic virus and root knot nematode. Conventional and

molecular approaches are adopted to improve the tomato for fruit quality, fruit smoothness, size and color. Progress is being made to achieve these overall objectives as indicated by the release of following hybrids and breeding lines. One breeding line “NC 714” was released for its large size and smooth fruit quality. “Mountain Majesty” a hybrid tomato was released for tomato spotted wilt virus resistance, and large and smooth fruit quality. NC State University has a comprehensive cut flower research program focusing on new cultivar evaluation, greenhouse and field production, and postharvest handling (www.ncsu.edu/project/cutflowers). Research will significantly expand the breeding and genetics component of the program. Initially, the focus is on two crops for genetic improvement: zinnias and Eucomis. Zinnias are a popular cut flower crop grown widely throughout the United States. Eucomis is a new crop with potential for the Southeast. Breeders have not been able to develop Z. violacea cultivars with powdery mildew resistance. Cultivars of this species are also drought susceptible as compared to other Zinnia species. Only a relatively small portion of the Zinnia germplasm has been exploited by breeders and other Zinnia species presently not cultivated may have commercial value. Breeding work with Eucomis is needed to increase and strengthen the flower racemes to reduce lodging. At present, there is a limited range in flower color, mainly white to pink, while darker pink and purple flowers would also be desirable. Only a relatively small portion of the Eucomis germplasm has been exploited by breeders. Germplasm was collected for zinnia (seed) and Eucomis (bulbs) including named cultivars and species.

Buddleja (butterfly bush) is being bred for compact and sterile forms. Traditional cultivars are excessively vigorous and challenging to manage in a home landscape. Butterfly bush is potentially invasive in many parts of North America and the world; hence the development of sterile cultivars is important. 'Purple Haze' is both compact and female sterile, and has been approved for production and sale in all of the U.S., even in the state of Oregon, which bans butterfly bush from commerce due to invasiveness. ‘Miss Molly’ 'Ice Chip’ and 'Lilac Chip' were also released from the program. Cercis canadensis (redbud) is being bred for a series of weeping and compact forms encompassing the range of leaf variants (purple leaf, variegated leaf, golden leaf) and flower color variants. The goal is to introgress traits from eastern redbud into the Texas redbud to exploit the heat and drought tolerance of this subspecies. 'Ruby Falls' demonstrates the unique combination of weeping growth habit and purple leaf color. 'Merlot' is the first purple leaf form of the Texas redbud to be developed. 'Whitewater' is a unique weeping form with variegated foliage. The cucumber breeding project at NC State has been working on the development of new hybrids of pickling type for use by North Carolina growers. We have just released 'NC-Eldorado', a pollenizer for use with our medium and long day cultivars. Eldorado is also an excellent hybrid for use in areas needing a long harvest season provided by the monoecious type. Finally, Eldorado performed well in patio pots and container trials, for those interested in having a cucumber adapted to container production. ‘NC-25’ and NC-75’ were released as a patio cucumber inbreds. We are releasing cucumber hybrids and inbreds that are multiple branched littleleaf pickling type, as well as middle-eastern fresh market type and pickling type (both gynoecious and monoecious hybrids).

The NCSU Caneberry (blackberry and raspberry breeding program) objectives are to develop blackberry and raspberry cultivars adapted to North Carolina. In 2011, advanced selections in replicated trials were evaluated in both the field and under high tunnels. Two red raspberry selections are being considered for release in the next year. NC 430 was released earlier this year as a thornless floricane-fruiting blackberry. More information on attributes of NC 430 can be found at: http://ncsu.edu/enterprises/blackberries-raspberries/2012/05/16/nc-430-blackberry-cultivar/. It is being propagated at nurseries at this time and a patent is expected to be submitted as soon as we know nurseries will have plants to sell. Watermelon outcrossing rate, yield stability, and hollow heart resistance are being studied. Watermelon populations with orange flesh, canary yellow flesh, small fruit, high yield, high quality, or gummy stem blight resistance are being improved for use in cultivar development. Breeding is continuing on eastern shipping cantaloupes, Sprite melons and canary melons. The release of three new hybrids of luffa sponge gourd is also under way. Oklahoma Plant germplasm distribution data received from S-9 indicate that 529 plant accessions maintained at the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit at Griffin, GA were distributed to organizations or individuals in Oklahoma the last year. The accessions were distributed in 13 requests. The requested plant germplasm in 2011 included sorghum (Sorghum bicolor and S. intrans) (465 accessions), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) (11 accessions), Zoysiagrass (Zoysia sp.) (46 accessions), Lablab legume (Lablab purpureus) (1 accession), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) (2 accessions), and African bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis) (4 accessions). Receivers of the plant accessions represent researchers of Oklahoma State University, USDA-ARS laboratories, local companies and individual Oklahomans. Puerto Rico Eighteen quenepa (Melicoccus bijugatus) cultivars are in the seventh year of evaluation at Juana Díaz and Lajas. At Juana Díaz and Lajas, respectively, 48% and 22% of the trees fruited in 2009. The cultivar with the highest yield per tree was ‘Carmen’, with 76 pounds, followed by ‘Tuna’ with 65 pounds and ‘Sabana Grande’ with 30.8 pounds. Citrus germplasm collections are being maintained in screenhouses at Isabela and Rio Piedras. The rootstock evaluation of ‘Tahiti’ lime at Corozal and Isabela is in its second year of harvest. The highest yielding rootstocks are ‘HRS 812’ and rough lemon, with 85.8 and 104.5 pounds, respectively, at Corozal. ‘Nova’ mandarin trees are being propagated for a rootstock trial. Two tannier hybrids with yellow flesh, ‘Superkelly’ and ‘Nazareno’, were evaluated using planting material treated with the biological fungicide Companion (Bacillus subtilis GB03) or limestone application. No significant differences in yield were found between treatments. Average yield was 6,208 kg/ha of marketable cormels. Both hybrids showed dry rot symptoms and foliar diseases caused by Xanthomonas campestris, Colletotrichum sp. and Alternaria sp. Seeds of upland rice varieties were requested from CIAT and the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center. Twenty one upland rice varieties, originally collected from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, were planted for seed increase. An additional 28 upland varieties from Brazil, the Philippines, Taiwan,

Japan, Bangladesh and the USA were requested and will be increased for local evaluation. USDA germplasm requests in Puerto Rico in 2011 include 11 accessions of watermelon, 7 cowpea, 1 pumpkin, 1 eggplant, and 1 okra. New crop germplasm projects include evaluation of accessions of breadfruit and achachairu (Garcinia sp.), screening of citrus rootstocks for Phytophthora resistance, and evaluation of traditional varieties produced by the Agricultural Experiment Station. South Carolina Germplasm Distribution A total of 476 germplasm accessions were distributed by the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit at Griffin, GA to the following individuals in South Carolina in 2011: Dr. Amnon Levi, USDA Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC, 30 Citrullus, (watermelon) accessions; J. Allen, Rebellion Farm, 6 Sesamum (sesame); S. Bell, Liberty Christian Academy, 1 Pennisetum (pearl millet); F. Cates, Western Seed Multiplication, 7 Vigna (cowpea); D. Gilbert, Laherne Farms, 20 Capsicum spp. (pepper); Dr. Howard Harrison, USDA Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, 4 Ipomoea (sweetpotato); W. Jones, University of South Carolina, 287 Sorghum spp. (grain sorghum); Dr. C. Kousik, USDA Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, 96 Citrullus spp.; Dr. S. Kresovich, University of South Carolina, 5 Sorghum accessions; M. McMillan, USDA Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, 15 Capsicum accessions: Dr. Judy Thies, USDA Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, 5 Citrullus accessions. Cultivar Releases ‘Graham’ oat (formerly designated SC96-1246) has been released by the Clemson University Experiment Station. It is a mid to late maturity oat variety and was released because of its excellent seed yield potential. It was developed by Dr.’s W.D. Graham, B. Edge, C.R. Ray, and Mr. Carl Myers. ‘CaroTiger’ peach (formerly designated SC82035-13-48) has been proposed for release by the Clemson Experiment Station. “CaroTiger’ is a high quality, attractive, late-season peach for both the commercial shipping and local, retail markets. Fruit has consistent large size (averaging >7.62 cm (3 in.) in diameter or larger) and trees bear a full crop. Fruit shape, color, and overall attractiveness are excellent. Fruit are freestone, have very good eating quality, do not get soft too fast, have melting flesh, normal acidity and excellent sugar content. The cultivar was developed by Dr. D.W. Cain, Dr. D.R. Layne, and Mr. W.C. Newall, Jr. Soybean Germplasm Utilization and Evaluation In 2011, twenty-one elite breeding lines and/or cultivars from the Clemson University soybean breeding program were tested in a greenhouse to determine their suitability as hosts for reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis, and identify resistant genotypes. The test was conducted by Dr. R.T. Robbins at the University of Arkansas from May 25 to September 6, 2011. Elite lines SC06-045 and SC06-051 had reproductive indices lower than the reniform resistant cultivar, Santee. Lines SC98-1930, SC07-786, and SC07-1490 were retested in 2011. The line SC98-1930 had reproductive indices lower than the resistant cultivar Hartwig while the other two lines had indices slightly higher than Santee.

Tennessee The following projects are being conducted at the University of Tennessee in which plant introductions are being utilized in research. BIOFUEL CROP ALTERNATIVES: SWITCHGRASS Project Title: Breeding improved synthetic varieties of Switchgrass Personnel: Fred Allen, Professor; Virginia Sykes, Grad Research Assistant; and Hem Bhandari, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Tennessee. Objective: Development of improved varieties of Switchgrass Approach: Three PI’s are being intercrossed with two experimental lines and two released cultivars for the purpose of developing new synthetic varieties of switchgrass. A polycross nursery was established in spring 2007. F1 half-sib families were established in the field in 2009 and have been evaluated for yield and various agronomic traits in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Two new M.S. projects have been initiated in 2012 on this set of materials. ROW CROPS: CORN Project Title: Cereal Breeding Subtitle: Breeding maize lines with exotic germplasm Personnel: Dennis West, Univ Tenn Collaborators: Major Goodman, Matt Krakowsky, USDA and NCSU Objective: Develop improved maize germplasm for the southern region. Approach: Early generation lines from the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) project, expired PVP lines, and other germplasm obtained from the North Central Regional Plant Introduction station maize collection are crossed with elite adapted lines. Progeny from crosses are advanced by traditional breeding methods, to develop new maize parental lines. In 2012 we obtained the following maize germplasm from the NPGS for inclusion in our maize breeding project: PI/code cultivar 1. Lines from the GEM project; GEMN-0229 - GEMS-0224 - GEMN-0230 - GEMN-0231 - GEMN-0232 - GEMS-0226 - GEMN-0225 - GEMS-0227 - GEMS-0228 - 2. Expired PVP lines; 562378 LH165 564542 LH184 559375 LH222 562381 LH224 565099 PHVJ4

565106 PHJR5 565107 PHKE6 565111 PHV57 565113 PHW80 SOYBEAN Project Title: Germplasm Resources for Enhancing Glyphosate Herbicide Resistant Soybean Seed Yield Personnel: Vince Pantalone, Professor; Ben Fallen, Research Associate, Debbie Ellis, Research

Associate, Beth Meyer, Research Associate, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Tennessee Objective: Utilize germplasm resources to develop elite herbicide resistant soybean lines Approach: Data was analyzed from seven environments in 2011 to evaluate field performance of glyphosate resistant line TN06-140RR (currently the released cultivar named USG 75T40). That elite line was developed by our program from crossing TN01-294RR and LG98-1445. The female parent we developed by making three backcrosses away from the Monsanto herbicide resistant source to our recurrent parent line TN93-99, which is registered germplasm line GP-280 in the USDA Germplasm Collection. The male pollen donor line is registered germplasm line GP-318 in the USDA Germplasm Collection and it contains two exotic pedigree sources (PI 227333 and PI 91730-1) that collectively contributed less than 10% of the genes to U.S. soybean cultivars. The opportunity to infuse new high yield genes was a major purpose of this cross. Results: In seven environments of field testing in the 2011 Tennessee State Variety Test, our new herbicide resistant cultivar USG 75T40 produced the highest seed yield in its test, significantly greater than the commercial average by 5 Bu/A; moreover, the cultivar was also the top yielding entry in the 2 year (2010—2011) and 3 year (2009-2011) averages of maturity group V early Roundup Ready entries in the Tennessee State Variety Test. We also confirmed that the cultivar shows excellent resistance to soybean cyst nematode Race 2. Project Title: Germplasm Resources for Conventional Soybean Seed Yield Improvement Personnel: Vince Pantalone, Professor; Ben Fallen, Research Associate, Debbie Ellis, Research

Associate, Beth Meyer, Research Associate, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Tennessee Objective: Develop elite conventional soybean lines through germplasm resources Approach: 1) A cross was made between two high yielding cultivars (5601T, CV-441 and 5002T, CV-466) that we developed and registered in the USDA Germplasm Collection. The progeny line TN05-5018 (relative maturity 4.9) was selected and tested over seven environments in the 2011 Tennessee State Variety Test and over 22 environments in the 2011 USDA Southern Uniform Test. 2) The cross 5601T × PI417088 was made to develop progeny line TN08-101 which was evaluated in the 2011 Southern Uniform Preliminary Test (MG IV-Late) over 12 environments. 3) A cross between two registered cultivars in the USDA Germplasm Collection (Fowler × Anand) produced progeny line TN09-008 which was evaluated in the 2011 Southern Uniform Preliminary Test (MG V) over 12 environments. Results: 1) In the Tennessee State Variety Test, our new elite conventional soybean line TN05-5018 was the top yielding entry, exceeding the test average of conventional and herbicide resistant entries by 8 Bu/A. In the USDA Southern Uniform Test, TN05-5018 also produced the highest seed

yield among all entries in the test. A request will be made to breeders next year to consider adopting this line as a new USDA check cultivar to replace 5002T. 2) In the USDA Southern Uniform Preliminary Test (MG IV-Late), line TN08-101 was the highest yielding entry in its test, exceeding the average of all entries by 5.5 Bu/A. That line contains 50% exotic parentage. 3) In the USDA Southern Uniform Preliminary Test (MG V), line TN09-008 was the highest yielding entry in its test, exceeding the average of all entries by 5.2 Bu/A. It showed excellent resistance to SCN Race 5 and moderate resistance to SCN Races 2 and 3. This line is being proposed for release as a new germplasm line for deposit to the USDA Germplasm Collection. Project Title: Biodiesel Improvement through Elevated Oleic Acid Personnel: Vince Pantalone, Professor; Ben Fallen, Research Associate, Carl E. Sams, and Dean

A. Kopsell, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Tennessee Objective: To increase the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid to for improvement in

biodiesel oxidative stability. Approach: Sister lines of the mid-oleic registered germplasm line N98-4445A donated elevated oleic acid through crosses with glyphosate resistant versions of crosses of the registered cultivar 5601T and the registered germplasm line TN93-99 to produce new progeny lines. The lines were tested in multiple environments from eastern Virginia to West Tennessee and biodiesel properties were evaluated from extracted seed oil. Results: The new elevated oleic acid lines had significantly better iodine value, peroxide value, and induction period, indicating better biodiesel properties and oxidative stability than the two commercial cultivars. NIGER Project Title: Evaluation of Niger (Guizotia abyssinica L.)Accessions for Seed Production & Agronomic Traits Personnel: Fred Allen, Professor and Victoria Knapp, Grad Research Assistant, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Tennessee Objective: Evaluate seed production potential of niger accessions, and identify parental lines for crossing. Approach: Evaluate 14 niger accessions from the USDA Germplasm collection during the summer of 2012 for seed production potential and agronomic traits in order to determine if the feasible of establishing populations from which to select improved lines as new cultivars. Texas In collaboration with researchers from Texas Tech Health Science Center, sweetpotato accessions were screened for in vitro activity against certain types of cancer cells. Tissue culture-generated seedlings were supplied by ARS and grown in a greenhouse at the Texas AgriLife Research Stress Lab in Bushland, TX. Once plants were established and large enough to harvest leaf tissue, samples were taken and provided to collaborators at TTHSC. They conducted the screening. None of the tested lines demonstrated adequate toxicity to the cancer cells to justify continued testing.

Both Setaria spp. and Panicum spp. germplasm are being screened for susceptibility to Panicum mosaic virus. This is part of a larger project related to Brachypodium and switchgrass genetics and crop improvement. At USDA-ARS in Lubbock we are interested primarily in abiotic stress tolerance in sorghum. Research goals are to incorporate novel stress tolerance genes from exotic germplasm into elite breeding lines that can be used directly in other private and public breeding programs. Primary traits of interest include drought and cold tolerance. GRIN as been an excellent source of germplasm for our program, and we plan to continue to use the resource in the future. Sorghum accessions are currently being used in a study to identify genes controlling floral initiation. We are sequencing candidate genes and comparing the alleles in the different genotypes. In addition, the accessions have been planted in a field to determine the days to flowering. Also, hundreds of sorghum accessions have been evaluated for use in the TAMU sorghum energy breeding program. The sorghum and switchgrass germplasm accessed from GRIN by NexSteppe, Inc. will be utilized for elite line and hybrid development in our sorghum and switchgrass breeding programs. Four sorghum lines have been examined for their performance in response to southwestern corn borer and fall armyworm at the seedling stage in the greenhouse and in lab feeding assays. The Wind Erosion and Water Conservation unit at the Cropping Systems Research Lab in Lubbock is investigating the effect of abrasion by wind borne sand on crop plants. The investigation has been expanded from cotton to sorghum. The sorghum investigation is designed to determine whether and to what extent sand abrasion affects seedling/young plant physiology, determine the extent of intra-specific variation in resistance to abrasion resistance, and to provide observations upon which to base hypotheses of the mechanisms of differential resistance (and conversely, susceptibility). To these ends a variety of sorghum types were chosen based upon diversity of origin, gross morphology, agronomic importance, and in some cases their suggested use as wind breaks. This study is important in identification of specific characteristics for which to select in breeding programs. It is hoped this study will provide needed information useful in the transition to dry-land agriculture; and suggest additional intercropping systems that enhance cotton crop resistance to sand abrasion while reducing some of the risk associated with year to year variability in profitability. Sorghum accessions are being used in a project that is examining the origin of Johnson grass (Sorghum halapense), a project dedicated to understanding the genetic control of rhizome growth in sorghums, and a breeding project aimed at the development of perennial sorghum varieties for use as grain, forage, and/or bio-energy feedstocks. Virgin Islands Sorrel, Hibiscus sabdariffa, hybrids were developed through controlled crosses between Caribbean varieties or between Caribbean and African varieties. Sorrel is self pollinating so all varieties are inbreds. Both the first and second generations were grown and evaluated with the parents. The first generation of sorrel was influenced by the pollen parent used in the hybrid

cross. Hybrid vigor was apparent in the first generation as indicated by stronger growth, increased branching and larger fruit. The sorrel plants from the second generation were below both parent and the first generation hybrid. Fifty sorrel lines from the USDA Germplasm Repository were evaluated for tolerance to high pH (above 8.0) calcareous soils of the Virgin Islands. One line, PI 274245, was found to be resistant to the calcareous high pH soils with no indication of chlorosis. Though self-fertile, when five different varieties were crossed onto PI 274245, the fruit aborted within 48 hrs. However, it was successfully used as a pollen parent in the reciprocal cross on the five varieties used. The first generation hybrids will be evaluated later this year on calcareous soils. Sweetpotato grown in the US Virgin Islands is plagued by the sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius). A trial was set up to monitor weevil populations during sweetpotato production. Pheromone bait was used to attract weevils and monitor their population over time. At harvest, sweetpotato storage roots were graded for marketability based on size and weevil damage. The weevil population increased during the first four weeks and stabilized through the thirteenth week. Weevil damage to the sweetpotato leaves was visible by the third week. Of the ten varieties evaluated, only ‘Beauregard-14’ had jumble-size roots present. ‘Beauregard-14’ and ‘Bonita’ had the greatest total and marketable weight per plant and were two weeks earlier than the other varieties. Early sweetpotato varieties were more resistant than late maturing varieties. Four varieties had low or no weevil damage which made them more marketable. ‘Beauregard-14’, ‘Bonita’, ‘Evangeline’ and ‘Liberty’ averaged over two marketable roots per plant. Though ‘Qilin’ averaged two roots per plant, it was the only variety with no marketable roots due to smaller size and weevil damage. From this initial trial, ‘Beauregard-14’, ‘Bonita’, ‘Evangeline’ and ‘Liberty’ have production potential for the US Virgin Islands.

Publications Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit Barkley, N.L., Pinnow, D.L., Wang, M.L., Ling, K., Jarret, R.L. 2011. Detection and classification of sweetpotato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) isolates in the U.S. sweetpotato germplasm collection via a real-time PCR assay and phylogenetic analysis. Plant Disease. 95(11):1385-1391. Barkley, N.L., Pittman, R.N., Wang, M.L. 2011. Utilization of SNP, SSR, and biochemical data to evaluate genetic and phenotypic diversity in the U.S. peanut germplasm collection. Meeting Abstract. Peanut CRSP Strategic Research Conference, 12/11-15/2011, Malta. Fountain, J.C., Qin, H., Chen, C.Y., Dang, P.M., Wang, M.L., Guo, B. 2011. A note on development of a low-cost and high throughput SSR-based genotyping method in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Peanut Science. 38:122-127. Harrison Dunn, M.L., Pinnow, D.L. 2011. Germination of southern ecotypes of switchgrass germplasm. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. San Antonio, TX (Oct. 16-19, 2011). Harrison Dunn, M.L. 2012. The USDA warm season grass collection: Opportunities for ornamental breeding. Proceedings American Society of Horticultural Sciences. Poster No.412. Jarret, R.L., Levy, I. 2012. Oil and fatty acid content in seed of Citrullus lanatus Schrad. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 60(20):5199-5204. Jenkins, T.M., Wang, M.L., Barkley, N.L. 2012. Microsatellite markers in plants and insects part II: Databases and in silico tools for microsatellite mining and analyzing population genetic stratification.. Genes, Genomes, and Genomics. 6(1):60-75. Lin, Z., Li, X., Shannon, L.M., Yeh, C., Wang, M.L., Bai, G., Peng, Z., Li, J., Trick, H.N., Clemente, T.E., Doebley, J., Schnable, P.S., Tuinstra, M.R., Tesso, T.T., White,F., Yu, J. 2012. Parallel domestication of the Shattering1 genes in cereals. Nature Genetics. 44:720-724. Morris, J.B. 2011. Christmas-candle Senna: An ornamental and pharmaceutical plant. In: Singh R., editor. Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement Medicinal Plants. Vol.6. Urbana,IL:CRC Press. p.793 Morris, J.B. 2012. Showy partridge pea [Chamaecrista fasciculate (Michx.) Greene] with potential for cultivation as a multi-functional species in the United States. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. DOI: 10.1007/s10722-012-9881-z. Morris, J.B., Antonious, G.F. 2012. Assessment of glucose and stem dry weight among 16 Crotalaria juncea accessions for potential cellulosic ethanol. American Society of Horticulture Science Meeting. Poster No. 110.

Morris, J.B., Grusak, M.A., Tonnis, B.D., Wang, M.L. 2011. Mineral, fatty acid, and flavonoid content in a subset of plant introductions from the pulse species, Macrotyloma uniflorum. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. San Antonio, TX (Oct.16-19, 2011). Morris, J.B., Hellier, B. C., Connett, J. F., 2011. Medicinal Properties of Legumes. In: Singh R., editor. Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement Medical Plants. Vol. 6, Urbana, IL:CRC Press. p. 297-396. Morris, J.B., Wang, M.L., Thomas, T. 2012. Quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and fatty acid content among several Hibiscus sabdariffa accession calyces based on maturity in a greenhouse. Quercetin: Dietary sources, functions and health benefits. pp. 269-282. Pederson, G.A., Quesenberry, K.H., Greene, S.L., Aiken, G.E., Dinkins, R.D. 2011. A new NPGS special collection: Norman L. Taylor University of Kentucky clover collection. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. San Antonio, TX (Oct. 16-19, 2011). Severino, L.S., Auld, D.L., Baldanzi, M., Chen, G.Q., He, X., Crosby, W., Machado, O.L., Morris, J.B., Zieler, H. 2012. A review on the challenges for increased production of castor. Agronomy Journal. 104(4):853-880. Qin, H., Feng, S., Guo, B., Chen, C.Y., Guo, Y., Knapp, S., Culbreath, A., He, G., Wang, M.L., Xinyou, Z., Holbrook Jr, C.C., Oziasakins, P. 2012. An intergrated genetic linkage map of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) constructed from two RIL populations. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 124:653-664. Wang, M.L., Barkley, N.L., Chen, Z., Pittman, R.N., Pederson, G.A. 2012. FAD2 gene mutations significantly alter fatty acid composition in peanuts. Plant and Animal Genome Conference. January 14-18, 2012. San Diego, CA. p.459. Wang, M.L., Chen, C.Y., Pinnow, D.L., Barkley, N.L., Pittman, R.N., Lamb, M.C., Pederson, G.A. 2012. Seed dormancy variability in the U.S. peanut mini-core collection. Research Journal of Seed Science. 5:84-95. Wang, M.L., Morris, J.B., Tonnis, B.D., Davis, J., Pederson, G.A. 2012. Assessment of oil content and fatty acid composition variability in two economically important Hibiscus species. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 60:6620-6626. Wang, M.L., Raymer, P., Chinnan, M., Pittman, R.N. 2012. Screening of the US peanut germplasm for oil content and fatty acid composition. Biomass and Bioenergy. 39:336-343. Wu, Y., Li, X., Xiang, W., Zhu, C., Lin, Z., Wu, Y., Li, J., Pandravada, S., Ridder, D., Bai, G., Wang, M.L., Trick, H., Bean, S., Tuinstra, M., Tesso, T., Yu, J. 2012. Presence of tannins in sorghum grains is conditioned by different natural alleles of Tan1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.1201700109/-/DCSupplemental. Alabama

Mosjidis, Jorge A., Joan M. Burke, and Joseph B. Hess. 2012. The facts about sunn hemp toxicity. Crop Science 52 (4):1469-1474. Burke J.M.1, J.E. Miller, J.A. Mosjidis, and T.H. Terrill. 2012. Grazing sericea lespedeza for control of gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs. Veterinary Parasitology 186: 507-512. DOI information: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.12.004. Burke J.M., J.E. Miller, J.A. Mosjidis and T.H. Terrill. 2012. Use of a mixed sericea lespedeza and grass pasture system for control of gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs and kids. Veterinary Parasitology 186:328-336. Terrill, Thomas H., James E. Miller, Joan M. Burke, Jorge A. Mosjidis and Ray M. Kaplan. 2012. Experiences with integrated concepts for the control of Haemonchus contortus in sheep and goats in the United States. Veterinary Parasitology 186:28-37. DOI information: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.11.043 Kelton J. A., A. J. Price, and J. Mosjidis. 2012. Allelopathic Weed Suppression through the use of Cover Crops. pp. 115-130. In: Price (ed.) Weed Control. Intech Press, Rijeka, Croatia. 276 pp. ISBN 978-953-51-0159-8 http://www.intechopen.com/books/show/title/weed-control Price, Andrew, Jessica Kelton and Jorge Mosjidis. 2012. Utilization of Sunn Hemp for Weed Control in Temperate Climates. pp. 101-114. In: Price, Andrew (ed.) Weed Control. InTech, Rijeka, Croatia. 276 pp. ISBN: 979-953-307-318-6. http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/utilization-of-sunn-hemp-for-cover-crops-and-weed-control-in-temperate-climates Burke J.M., N.C. Whitley, D.A. Pollard, J.E. Miller, T.H. Terrill, K.E. Moulton, J.A. Mosjidis. 2011. Dose titration of sericea lespedeza leaf meal on Haemonchus contortus infection in lambs and kids. Veterinary Parasitology 181(2/4):345-349. Balkcom, K. , Jessica M. Massey, Jorge A. Mosjidis, Andrew J. Price and Stephen F. Enloe. 2011. Planting Date and Seeding Rate Effects on Sunn Hemp Biomass and Nitrogen Production for a Winter Cover Crop. International Journal of Agronomy vol. 2011, Article ID 237510, 8 pages. doi:10.1155/2011/237510. Joshi, B.R., D. S. Kommuru, Thomas H. Terrill, Jorge A. Mosjidis, Joan M. Burke, K.P. Shakya and James E. Miller. 2011. Effect of feeding sericea lespedeza leaf meal in goats experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Veterinary Parasitology 178: 1/2, 192-197. Florida Acharya, Ananta R., David S. Wofford, and Kevin Kenworthy, Kenneth H. Quesenberry. 2011. Combining ability analysis of inheritance of resistance in white clover to southern root-knot nematode. Crop Sci. 51:1928-1934.

Acuna, C.A., A.R. Blount, K.H. Quesenberry, K.E. Kenworthy, and W.W. Hanna. 2011. Tetraploid bahiagrass hybrids: breeding technique, genetic variability and proportion of heterotic hybrids. Euphytica 179:227-235. Aina, Olubunmi, Kenneth Quesenberry, and Maria Gallo. 2012. Photoperiod affects in vitro flowering in wild peanut (Arachis paraguariensis). Am. J. Plant Sci. 3:567-571. DOI 10.4236/ajps.2012.35068. Ajani, Olubunmi, Kenneth Quesenberry, and Maria Gallo. 2012 Thidiazuron-induced tissue culture regeneration from quartered-seed explants of Arachis paraguariensis. Crop Sci. 52:1076-1083. Aina, Olubunmi, Kenneth Quesenberry, and Maria Gallo. 2012. In vitro induction of tetraploids in Arachis paraguariensis. Plant Cell, Tissue & Organ Culture. DOI 10.1007/s11240-012-0191-0. Carvalho, M.A. and K.H. Quesenberry. 2012. Agronomic evaluation of Arachis pintoi (Krap. And Greg.) germplasm in Florida. Arch Zootec 61:19-29. Chambers, A., V.M. Whitaker, B.Gibbs, A. Plotto, and K. Folta. 2012. Detection of the linalool-producing NES1 variation across diverse strawberry (Fragaria spp.) accessions. Plant Breeding. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.2012.01959.x Chaudhari, S.*, B.A. Sellers, S.V. Rockwood, J.A. Ferrell, G.E. MacDonald, and K.E. Kenworthy. 2012. Nonchemical methods for paragrass (Urochloa mutica) control. Invasive Plant Science and Management 2012 5:20–26. Kimball, J.A., Zuleta, M.C., Martin, M., Kenworthy, K.E., Chandra, A., and Milla-Lewis, S.R. 2012. Assessment of Molecular Variation within ‘Raleigh’ St. Augustinegrass using AFLP markers. HortScience. 47:839-844. Kimball J., Zuleta M., Kenworthy K., Lehman V., Milla-Lewis S. 2012. Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Zoysia Species using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Markers. Crop Science 52:360-370. DOI: 10.2135/cropsci2011.05.0252. Lu, H., A. Wright, and D. Sui. 2011. Response of lettuce cultivars to insect pests in southern Florida. HortTechnolgy 21: 773-778. Lu, Huangjun, Joubert Fayette, Jinguo Hu, Carolee Bull, Richard Raid, Soon-Jae Kwon, and Jeffrey Jones. 2012. Association study of response to Bacterial leaf spot with single nucleotide polymorphism markers in lettuce. Plant & Animal Genome XX, The International Conference on the Status of Plant & Animal Genome Research. San Diego, CA, Jan. 14-18, 2012. Pang W., Crow W., Luc J., McSorley R., Giblin-Davis R., Kenworthy K., Kruse J. (2011a) Comparison of Water Displacement and WinRHIZO Software for Plant Root Parameter Assessment. Plant Disease 95:1308-1310. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-01-11-0026.

Pang W., Luc J., Crow W., Kenworthy K., Giblin-Davis R., McSorley R., Kruse J. (2011b) Bermudagrass Cultivar Responses to Sting Nematodes. Crop Science 51:2199-2203. DOI: 10.2135/cropsci2011.01.0013. Pang W., Luc J., Crow W., Kenworthy K., McSorley R., Giblin-Davis R. (2011c) Screening Bermudagrass Germplasm Accessions for Tolerance to Sting Nematodes. Hortscience 46:1503-1506. Pang W., Luc J., Crow W., Kenworthy K., McSorley R., Kruse J., Giblin-Davis R. (2011d) Responses of Seashore Paspalum Cultivars to Sting and Spiral Nematodes. Crop Science 51:2864-2867. DOI: 10.2135/cropsci2011.02.0113. Quesenberry, Kenneth H., and Ann R. Blount. 2012. Registration of Barduro mid-dormant red clover. Journal of Plant Registrations 6:141-145. Scully B., Nagata R., Cherry R., Nuessly G., Trenholm L., Kenworthy K., Schwartz B., Unruh J. (2012) Registration of 'Ultimate' Zoysiagrass. Journal of Plant Registrations 6:71-74. DOI: 10.3198/jpr2011.04.0196crc. Scully B., Nagata R., Sistrunk D., Cherry R., Nuessly G., Kenworthy K., DeFrank J. (2011) Registration of 'Aloha' Seashore Paspalum. Journal of Plant Registrations 5:22-26. DOI: 10.3198/jpr2009.09.0498crc|10.3198/jpr2009.09.0498crc. Verlaan, M., D. Szinay, S. Hutton, H. de Jong, R. Kormelink, R. Visser, J. Scott, and Y. Bai. 2011. Chromosomal rearrangements between tomato and Solanum chilense hamper mapping and breeding of the TYLCV resistance gene Ty-1. The Plant Journal 68:1093-1103. Vidoz, María Laura, Kenneth Hays Quesenberry, Daniel Real, and Maria Gallo. 2012. Plant regeneration of Lotononis bainesii Baker (Fabaceae) through cotyledon and leaf culture. African Journal of Biotechnology. 11:9724-9731. Louisiana R. Nicholas. 2011. Comparative Botany on Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) grown in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. M.S. research, Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. North Carolina Call, A. D., A. D. Criswell, T. C. Wehner, K. Ando and R. Grumet. 2012. Resistance of cucumber cultivars to a new strain of cucurbit downy mildew. HortScience 47: 171-178. Call, A. D., A. D. Criswell, T. C. Wehner, U. Klosinska and E. U. Kozik. 2012. Screening cucumber for resistance to downy mildew caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk. and Curt.) Rostov. Crop Sci. 52: 577-592.

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