Blackberries, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers and peas are among specialty crops funded for Virginia Tech to research, according to a recent state grant award.
Developing and teaching practices to grow blackberries on trellises are objectives of a grant awarded to Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology. Researchers are also tasked to develop easy recipes for blackberry-based beverages.
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Thursday announced eight grants totaling $614,000 for specialty crop projects in the state, based on a competitive application process. Virginia Tech was named in seven of those grant awards.
Postharvest diseases hamper the shelf-life of pumpkins, and potential exists to explore specialty pumpkins suitable for production in Virginia, according to another grant. Virginia Tech will convey its research via the Virginia Cooperative Extension to pumpkin growers, who have identified those two issues as the most critical for their specialty market.
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Fifty-six different types of hydroponically-grown pepper plants will be evaluated for their aromatic flavor, according to another grant description. Virginia Tech researchers will develop a protocol for measuring the flavor of pepper fruits, and establish breeding populations of different snacking pepper varieties.
“Developing snacking pepper cultivars suitable for vertical farming will help make the snacking pepper a new cash crop and create new job opportunities in Virginia,” according to a news release about the grant’s from the Virginia governor’s office.
Cherry tomatoes will be the subject of further hydroponic research at Virginia Tech, in partnership with Virginia State University. Flavor, nutrition and shelf life of cherry tomatoes from conventional outdoor fields will be compared to indoor hydroponic cherry tomatoes, to determine and market the merits of both growing methods.
“This research will directly support the competitiveness of the Virginia cherry tomato industry and other specialty crops,” according to the release.
Virginia Tech is also named in a grant to research and spread awareness of yellow field peas as an ideal cover crops for potatoes, soybeans, and other crops susceptible to nematodes.
Some of this specialty crop research will occur not only at Virginia Tech facilities in Blacksburg, but also at its facilities in Danville, Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.
These and other Specialty Crop Block Grants fund important projects that create new market opportunities, especially in rural areas, said Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the release.
“As Virginia’s top private industry, agriculture continues to play a leading role in Virginia’s economy,” Youngkin said. “To ensure this sector stays at the forefront of our economy, we must continue to support research and technological advancements that enhance the competitiveness of our specialty crops.”
Saied Mostaghimi is associate dean for research for the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He said the college appreciates Youngkin’s support.
“These specialty crops help producers increase their bottom line by developing new crops and streams of revenue,” Mostaghimi said in an email. “We are excited to conduct the relevant research programs to support the industry.”
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