Elderberry Research and Development In Missouri

The American elderberry, Sambucus canadensis L, is a widely adapted large shrub or small tree native to eastern North America.  The fruit, blossoms, and other plant parts are useful in a wide range of medicinal and culinary products.  The Elderberry Development Program, established in 1997, is a multi-institutional research and development project with collaborators at the University of Missouri, Missouri State University, USDA-ARS, North Carolina State University, and Lincoln University.  The program has three phases: evaluation of elderberry germplasm and development of superior elderberry cultivars, investigations into elderberry culture, and investigations into the biochemical and genetic characteristics of elderberry.  Progress to date in phase 1 includes the collection and characterization of 68 elderberry selections and cultivars; replicated testing at multiple sites of 22 superior selections; initial preparations to name and release two cultivars; and a multilocational genotype by environment study that compared Missouri and Oregon grown plants.  Phase 2 investigations include a multi-year study at two sites that compared four pruning treatments; a study to evaluate foliar nutrient content of old shoots vs new shoots during  three collection periods; and plant performance under three levels of nitrogen fertilization.  Phase 3 studies include three years of measurement of juice characteristics from 12 selections and cultivars, including measurements of antioxidant activity; investigations into antioxidant activity in non-fruit plant tissue; and investigations into the genetic relationships among selections of S. canadensis and other Sambucus species in our germplasm collection using the Target Region Amplification Polymorphism genotyping technique.