Talking Apples with U of M
If you enjoy a Honeycrisp, Haralson, SweeTango or First Kiss apple at your local orchard or farm stand this fall, you can thank the University of Minnesota apple breeding program for putting it there. …
University of Minnesota
MN Researchers to Receive $10M For Development of Disease-Resistant Grapes
A University of Minnesota-led team of researchers received the first round of funding from a $10 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to follow up on their work with VitisGen2, a multi-disciplinary, collaborative project focused on cultivating disease-resistant grapes that can be grown sustainably with reduced pesticide and fossil fuel use. …
Solving the Honeycrisp Apple Ancestry Mystery
Ancestry tests aren’t just for people or pets anymore. Thanks to DNA-based tracking, researchers at the University of Minnesota have finally traced the family tree of the Honeycrisp apple — one of the top ten varieties produced in the United States. …
University of Minnesota Releases ‘MN-Washburn’ Wheat
The University of Minnesota (UMN) has released a new hard red spring wheat variety called ‘MN-Washburn.’ MN-Washburn features excellent straw strength and good overall disease resistance. In particular, it contains the bdv2 gene for resistance to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) making in an excellent choice in years when BYDV is prevalent. …