2013 ASHS Annual Conference

Objective(s):
This workshop brings together Project Directors from the USDA SCRI (Specialty Crops Research Initiative) research program to discuss their research.

This meeting is the annual Project Director’s workshop for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), a USDA funded program that was established to solve critical industry issues for specialty crops through long term, systems-focused research and extension activities. SCRI projects are often multistate, multi-institutional, and trans-disciplinary and each include a mechanism to communicate results to producers and the public. Each project addresses at least one of the five program focus areas: 1) research in plant breeding, genetics, and genomics to improve crop characteristics; 2) efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators; 3) efforts to improve production efficiency, productivity, and profitability over the long term; 4) new innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; and 5) methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops.  This workshop will highlight several SCRI projects.