2018 ASHS Annual Conference

RosBREED, a large-scale research and development project funded since 2009 by USDA-SCRI, is a collaborative effort across multiple states and institutions focused on improving U.S. rosaceous crops through DNA-informed breeding. The end goal is new cultivars that meet industry standards for horticultural quality and disease resistance and exceed consumer expectations for attributes like flavor, aroma, and texture. A critical outcome is to increase awareness of and support for DNA-informed breeding for rosaceous crops through regular engagement with stakeholders. A comprehensive, non-technical report provides a vehicle to share progress and obtain feedback at our annual advisory panel meeting. RosBREED’s strategic approach is to highlight outputs as success stories at such meetings, in individual interactions with clientele, in the project newsletter emailed to stakeholders three times a year, and as one-page ”RosBRIEFs.” In addition to these stories of how DNA information is obtained and applied to meet the goals of plant breeding programs and their beneficiaries, the newsletter and RosBRIEFs include regular profiles of RosBREED team members and advisory panel members, features on the “disease nemeses” that RosBREED is targeting to develop durably resistant cultivars and breeding populations, and information about new cultivars being released by RosBREED-affiliated breeding programs. To more effectively communicate a technical deliverable like the discovery of large-effect loci for traits of value and the use of DNA information about the locus in parent and seedling selection, we developed the “Jewels in the Genome” analogy. A concise, color-coded DNA test table was then developed to illustrate to our industry clientele the progress towards “jewel” discovery and use in breeding programs, as well as track deliverables to breeders. References to these communication efforts in trade publications indicate that some success stories and communication tools are resonating with stakeholders. This study summarized and analyzed trade publication articles covering RosBREED in order to identify communication strategies that resonated with our stakeholders. The results suggest ways in which the project has communicated its outcomes and deliverables most effectively with clientele and where efforts should be focused to achieve widespread name-recognition of RosBREED and robust support for DNA-informed breeding in rosaceous crops.