Nahla Bassil, Geneticist, USDA-ARS
Robert Martin, Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS
Bernadine Strik, Professor – Berry Crops, Oregon State University Department of Horticulture
Gil Buller, Senior Research Assistant – Berry Crops, Oregon State University, Department of Horticulture
Michael Qian, Professor, Oregon State University, Department of Food Science
Brian Yorgey, Senior Research Assistant, Oregon State University, Department of Food Science
Current students
Natalia Salinas: phenotyping, marker validation, & genotype by environment interaction for the RosBREED project. The RosBREED project, supported by USDA-NIFA, has as an overall goal to try to merge molecular markers developed in genomics labs with phenotypic information developed by plant breeders to develop marker assisted breeding tools to speed up the process of cherry, apple, peach, and strawberry cultivar development. GBS and Axiom(r) will be compared to generate markers and determine their utility for Pedigree-Based Analysis and Genome-Wide Selection. SNPs will be used to help generate genetic maps. Molecular markers will be correlated with phenotypic traits that describe phenological, vegetative, reproductive, and fruit chemistry traits. This project will especially focus on traits related to remontancy (repeat flowering/fruiting) in strawberry.
Past students
Blackberries (Rubus sp.)
Strawberries (Fragaria sp.)
Blueberries (Vaccinium sp.)
Red raspberry (R. idaeus)
Black raspberry (R. occidentalis)
Minor crops- elderberry, hardy kiwi, schisandra, lingonberry
The Pacific Northwest plays a key role in producing a diverse berry crop for both the processed and fresh markets. In Oregon, the diverse berry crop makes up approximately 23,000 harvested acres for a farmgate value of over $123 million. The estimated financial impact in Oregon of new cultivars released out of the USDA-ARS/OSU Cooperative Small Fruit Breeding Program is $17 million in fruit sales annually.
Cultivars Released
Blackberry
Strawberry
Red Raspberry
Blueberry
Mary Peterson, Biological Science Technician, USDA-ARS. Mary’s focus is on the caneberry breeding program. Her duties include work in the field, lab, and greenhouse as well as planning and outreach.
Ted Mackey, Biological Science Technician, USDA-ARS. Ted’s focus is on the strawberry and blueberry breeding programs. His duties include work in the field, lab, and greenhouse as well as planning and outreach. Ted also does some work with elderberry, lingonberry, and hardy kiwi.