2018 ASHS Annual Conference

In order to thrive, consumer horticulture must be nimble and seek out far-reaching interdisciplinary research collaborations to expand beyond traditional paradigms. From the consumer perspective, progress on food and nutrition issues has suffered as the majority of horticultural funding and resources promotes breeding and production of food crops with commercial traits such as increased yields, plant disease-resistance, and specific food processing traits. Traits that benefit consumers, such as enhanced flavor and nutrition in horticultural crops, have been neglected. This session will focus on cultivating research relationships to fill this gap. Examples of large and small collaborations will be discussed, including the relationships that an award-winning chef built with land grant universities to breed vegetables and grains with outstanding flavor, texture, and nutritional qualities to benefit restaurant patrons as well as home gardeners.