Aug 27, 2024

NC State research projects awarded funding

North Carolina State University (NCSU) has been awarded nine specialty crop research projects valued at more than $1.16 million.

The projects selected are focused on helping specialty crop growers manage disease and adverse weather conditions, and also look at new plant varieties that could grow better in the state.

North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) administers the statewide program with project funding coming from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

North Carolina’s specialty crops include fruits including blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, grapes, dried fruits, vegetables such as leafy greens, bell peppers and specialty peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tree nuts and other horticulture, turfgrass and sod, Christmas trees and nursery and greenhouse crops.

Grant proposals were submitted by nonprofit organizations, commodity groups, government agencies and universities.

“Projects this year involve strawberries, pumpkins, native plants, blackberries, winegrapes, vegetable crops and Christmas trees and all are spearheaded by N.C. State University researchers,” Troxler said in a news release.

2024 grant recipients

The 2024 grant recipients and projects through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant funds include the following at NCSU:

• Strawberry cultivar evaluation in North Carolina, $74,800
• Integrated Pest Management for native plant production, $149,192.10
• Advancing pumpkin production in North Carolina, $131,535.56
• Management of fusarium wilt of blackberry, $149,607
• Improved blackberry resilience to freeze injury, $133,890.81
• Grapevine pierce’s disease management in North Carolina, $78,703
• Unearth pathogenic nematode prevalence on vegetables, $154,497.90
• Management of western flower thrips, $150,000
• Genomic tools for Christmas tree health, $140,228.83

The specialty crop block grant funding was announced by North Carolina’s Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

For more information on the North Carolina specialty crops program, visit ncspecialtycrops.com/apply.