University of Florida to house new plant breeding accelerator program

The University of Florida announced it is the new home for an important partner in the effort to provide nutritious food for the nation and to keep farms competitive. The USDA-Agricultural Research Service-funded program called Breeding Insight (BI) supports public breeding efforts via more than 61 programs at the USDA as well as university-based programs across the country.

Scientists at Breeding Insight use advanced prediction methods — including high-performance computing and artificial intelligence — and custom software applications to accelerate the development of new pest- and disease-free crops that are more robust and nutritious, as well as to ornamental crops that support healthy ecosystems as well as animal breeding programs.

Among the nearly 50 species currently supported by Breeding Insight, 10 are among the top agricultural products for Florida: blueberry, alfalfa, strawberry, watermelon, lettuce, cucumber, sugarcane, citrus, potato and commercial beekeeping, said Moira Sheehan, director of Breeding Insight.

They also support honeybee and aquaculture industries to breed for improved genetic stock that are more durable. In this way, growers and producers can gain the best yields and market value while consumers benefit from U.S. agriculture production.

In the future, additional Florida crops can be supported, including cabbage, peanuts, cantaloupes, avocado and nursery plants, Sheehan said. Breeding Insight also hopes to expand to help Florida’s aquaculture industry for farm-raised tilapia, catfish, sturgeon, red drum, oysters and clams.

Photo: Geoffrey Meru, an associate professor of vegetable breeding, genetics and genomics at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, studies vegetables and squash in his lab. Photo courtesy of Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS photography.