Source: KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
HIGH-VALUE HORTICULTURAL CROPS FOR SMALL FARMS IN KENTUCKY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
EVANS-ALLEN
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1014378
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 10, 2017
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2022
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
FRANKFORT,KY 40601
Performing Department
Agriculture & Environmental Science
Non Technical Summary
Kentucky is a state of small-scale, limited-resource farms. In 2012, more than 77% of the Commonwealth's 77,064 farms were less than 180 acres and 78% had an annual income of less than $25,000. Kentucky's small-scale farmers, many of whom are or were growing tobacco, are interested in growing high-value fruit, vegetable, and nut crops for farmers markets, on-farm markets, community supported agriculture, locavore cooperatives, and restaurants to improve their long-term economic stability. This proposal was developed through stakeholder input obtained through conversations with individual growers, interactions with grower associations, including the Organic Association of Kentucky, the Kentucky State Horticulture Society, the Kentucky Nut Growers Association, the North American Pawpaw Growers Association, and focus groups conducted as part of a Sustainable Agriculture Research & Extension (SARE) planning grant. Farmers were interested in producing pawpaws, primocane-fruiting blackberries, eastern filbert blight-resistant hazelnuts, jujubes, and persimmons for fresh market sales and processing. The objectives of this proposal are: 1. to breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release; 2. to support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new KSU trademarked varieties for potential release; 3. to start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential of eight selections; and 4. to conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association. Annual field days that allow growers to tour these plantings and see how plants are grown will be conducted. Additionally, results will be reported on the Kentucky State University (KSU) College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems (CAFSSS) website. Undergraduate and graduate minority students will be trained in the scientific method and in advanced molecular biological approaches. Through germplasm collection and breeding, new and improved pawpaw varieties will be developed for growers. This proposal will develop both fundamental and applied knowledge for scientific and lay publications for organic and conventional production methods and techniques for these fruit and nut crops in Kentucky and the surrounding region. Field days and tours of field plots will provide demonstrations that will improve skills, increase knowledge, and improve decision-making ability of small-scaleand limited-resource farmers. Recommendations for cultivar selection and conventional and organic production practices will be developed and distributed via print, presentations, field days, and the internet to farmers in Kentucky and beyond. Organic production practices developed could positively impact public health and the environment by reducing pesticide use and enhancing agricultural biodiversity. Locally produced organic fruit crops will promote economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsible production practices that reduce synthetic chemical inputs and can protect human health and the environment. Facilitating the local production of fruits and nuts could lead to improved economic opportunities in the south eastern United States, reduced energy inputs and transportation costs, and improve the health and quality of life of youth and adults in rural communities and people in urban settings. This proposal addresses the NIFA Priority Area of Global Food Security.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
75%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2021119108030%
2051129106020%
2051210106020%
2051119106020%
9036030303010%
Knowledge Area
205 - Plant Management Systems; 202 - Plant Genetic Resources; 903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
1119 - Deciduous tree fruits, general/other; 1129 - Berries and cane fruits, general/other; 6030 - The farm as an enterprise; 1210 - Filbert;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1080 - Genetics; 3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
This proposal was developed through stakeholder input obtained through conversations with individual growers, interactions with grower associations, including the Organic Association of Kentucky, the Kentucky State Horticulture Society, the Kentucky Nut Growers Association, the North American Pawpaw Growers Association, and focus groups conducted as part of a Sustainable Agriculture Research & Extension (SARE) planning grant. Farmers were interested in producing pawpaws, primocane-fruiting blackberries, eastern filbert blight-resistant hazelnuts, jujubes, and persimmons for fresh market sales and processing. The objectives of this proposal are: To breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release;To support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new trademarked varieties for potential release;To start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential for eight selections; andTo conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association.
Project Methods
Objective 1. To breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release.A trial of 400 controlled crosses (Sunflower x 7-90, Sunflower x Susquehanna, 4-1 x Sunflower, and Susquehanna x Sunflower) and seedlings of superior cultivars (seedlings of Susquehanna and Shenandoah) was planted at the KSU Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in May 2017.The following data will be recorded over a 10-year period:Climate data: dates of first and last freeze, growing degree-days; log of rainfall.Culture: a record of maintenance activities accorded to the trees.Pests: a record of attacks from insects, diseases, or other pests.Growth: vigor (subjective scale); trunk circumference at 30 cm height.Flowering: dates of bloom period; flower density (flowers/tree); % set (# of flowers resulting in fruit out of total # of flowers expressed as a percentage).Yield: total yield (number and weight, harvested twice weekly); harvest dates (first, peak, last); comments (alternate bearing, spur-like branches, etc.).Fruit characteristics (10 per tree): quantitative (weight and firmness), qualitative (fruit flavor), pulp-to-seed weight ratio. Selections that are superior to current commercially available cultivars (e.g., Overleese and Sunflower) in fruit yield and quality will be propagated and put into replicated variety trials for further evaluation, after which superior selections will be patented or trademarked by KSU for distribution by nurseries.Objective 2. To support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new trademarked varieties for potential release.KSU provides pawpaw seed, trees, and budwood in limited quantities as a service of its USDA-NCGR mission to nurseries, the Kentucky Division of Forestry, farmers, scientists, and other individuals interested in pawpaw. KSU also receives pawpaw seeds, budwood, and plants from unique genotypes collected by individuals and scientists. This objective also contains the following activities:1) Selections in the breeding program will be screened for fruit low acetogenin levels; 2) Determine if pawpaws can produce fruit through self-pollination.Objective 3. To start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential of eight selections.Based on fruit quality and yields of selected trees in the KSU repository orchards, trees of the following KSU advanced selections and control clones and trees were propagated by chip budding:Clone Origin of GermplasmH3-120 Potential seedling of 10-35 x 1-7-1 ('Shenandoah')Hi4-1 Unknown origin seedling from KSU germplasm collectionG5-23 Seedling from Ithaca, New York.G4-25 Seedling from Salem, Indiana.G6-120 Seedling from Maryland.G9-109 Potential seedling of 11-13 × 1-23G9-111 Seedling of 11-13.Mango Selected from the wild in Tifton, GA.KSU-Atwood™ Seedling from Maryland, evaluated and released at KSU (control).Sunflower Seedling selected in Kansas (control).A variety trial was planted at the KSU Research and Demonstration Farm in 2011 in a randomized block design with four replicate blocks that include two replicate trees of each clone in each block (4 blocks x 10 clones x 2 replicate trees = 80 total trees). An additional variety trial will be conducted at KSU and grower sites including the selections Hi 1-4, Hi 4-1, Hi 7-1 (all seedlings of origin unknown from the KSU germplasm collection), and KSU-Benson™. These selections were grafted using the bark inlay method in the spring of 2017. Additional replicated variety trials were placed at grower sites in Bowling Green, KY, Cincinnati, OH, and Urbana, Ohio. These locations have different topography and soils than the primary KSU site. Tree growth and fruiting data will also be collected at all sites.Objective 4. To conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association.a) Six advanced selections of thornless, primocane-fruiting blackberries from the University of Arkansas. This trial of about 60 plants grown on organically certified land at the KSU farm in Frankfort, Kentucky will continue to examine suitability of unreleased thorny and thornless primocane-fruiting blackberry varieties from the UA blackberry breeding program (APF-190T as a control and the advanced selections APF-268T and APF-205T) for production in Kentucky. Plants were established in 2016 and are coming into production. Qualities evaluated will include fruit weight, total yield, harvest dates, disease/insect resistance (including evaluation of resistance to spotted wing drosophila, a new pest to Kentucky), overall plant vigor, and disease and insect problems over a three-year period.b) Five new eastern filbert blight-resistant hazelnut varieties. This trial was established in 2011 and consists of 5 EFB-resistant hazelnut varieties (hazelnut cultivars 'Jefferson', 'Yamhill', 'Gamma', 'Eta', and 'Theta') placed in 4 replicate blocks with two replicate trees per block with 15 feet between trees and 15 feet between rows (4 x 2 x 5 = 40 total trees). The trial is being grown under low-input conditions at the KSU farm. Data will be collected for at least a 7-year period and will include: yearly tree diameter at 30 cm, height, tree vigor, tree mortality, winter injury, suckering, winter hardiness, pests and diseases, and bloom dates. Replicated hazelnut trials with the five EFB resistant hazelnut selections are also planted at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, and University of Kentucky in Quicksand, KY. c) Persimmon trial. This trial was established in the spring of 2016 at the Kentucky State University Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort, KY and consists of four American persimmon cultivars ('Prok', 'Lehman's Delight', 'Early Golden', and 'Meader') and two Asian-American hybrid persimmon cultivars ('Kasandra' and 'Zima') planted in a completely randomized design. The trial is being grown under low-input conditions. Data will be collected for at least a 7-year period and will include: yearly tree diameter at 30 cm, height, tree vigor, tree mortality, winter injury, suckering, winter hardiness, pests and diseases, bloom dates. When fruit are produced, which usually occurs within the first three years after planting (the period covered by this proposal), fruit weight, harvest date, and yield data will be collected. Potential insect and disease pests of persimmon may include: psyllid, persimmon borer, fall webworm, bagworm, hickory horned devil, twig girdler, ambrosia beetle, and persimmon wilt.d) Jujube trial. This trial was established in the spring of 2016 at the Kentucky State University Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm and consists of five jujube cultivars (include 'Lang', 'Sugar Cane', 'Shanxi Li', 'Sherwood', and 'So') planted in a completely randomized design. The trial is being grown under low-input conditions. Data will be collected for at least a 7-year period and will include: yearly tree diameter at 30 cm, height, tree vigor, tree mortality, winter injury, suckering, winter hardiness, pests and diseases, bloom dates.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience includes small and limited resource farmers, organic farmers, orchardists, horticulturists and homeowner/hobbyists in Kentucky and the southeastern United States, KSU undergraduate and graduate students seeking education and training in horticultural principles and methods, and horticulture research and extension professionals. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Four graduate students worked on projects concerning pawpaw grafting methods, pawpaw self-compatibility, disease incidence in pawpaw, chill hour accumulation in pawpaw, and planting timing for pawpaw. The students are trained in the scientific method, laboratory techniques, and field data collection, and gain writing and communication experience by making oral and poster presentations. Research and extension professionals gained information on pawpaw and blackberry production disseminated at the American Society for Horticultural Science meeting, Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science, Kentucky Academy of Science, Kentucky State Horticultural Society meeting, Kentucky Nut Growers Association meetings, West Virginia Small Farm Conference, KSU Small, Limited Resource, and Minority Farmers Conference, Third Thursday Thing field day events, KSU Extension staff development training, Mountain Zoom for horticulture and agriculture extension agents in eastern Kentucky and SW Virginia, and the KSU pawpaw website, youtube channel, and facebook page. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Over 1,500 telephone calls, emails, and social media messages were answered concerning growing pawpaw, blackberries, and nut crops. We mentored four graduate students in research projects. The KSU pawpaw website was updated with research news and information and had over 1.6 million total visitors since 2003. The KSU Pawpaw Facebook page was maintained and updated and reached over 6,900 followers, an increase in 950 followers in 2020. Informational videos on pawpaw propagation and production are available on YouTube and Vimeo and have been viewed by over 114,000 people. Over 4,400 people were reached through extension presentations, seminars, and workshops both in-person pre-covid and virtually, including West Virginia Small Farm Conference (24), KSU Cooperative Extension Program and Staff Development Seminar Series (28), KSU Ask an Expert: Pawpaws on Facebook Live (991), California Rare Fruit Growers All About Pawpaws Zoom presentation (55), Growing Pawpaws in Kentucky: Boone County Arboretum virtual seminar series via Zoom (423), Horticulture Third Thursday Thing via Facebook Live and Zoom (2,855), Growing Pawpaws in Kentucky: Mountain Zoom virtual seminar series for Ag/hort Extension agents in EKY and SW VA (22), Southern Region- American Society for Horticultural Science (70 live, 500 meeting attendees), and American Society for Horticultural Science conferences (30 live; ~1,000 meeting attendees). Virtual presentations allowed participants from around the country and internationally to experience the events and disseminate information more widely. Instructional information about planting pawpaw seeds was sent by mail to over 650 people who received pawpaw seeds. Two in-person and two virtual farm visits and tours were conducted. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. To breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release; cross-pollinations will be performed in spring 2021 of superior cultivars and selections to continue the breeding process. Two-year old seedlings of crosses will be field-planted in spring 2021. 2. To support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new trademarked varieties for potential release; germplasm of unique material will continue to be acquired. Unique promising material will be placed in variety trials. Germplasm will continue to be distributed to the public, researchers, and nonprofits. Two advanced selections are in the late stages of evaluation and likely to be trademarked and released in 2021-2022. 3. To start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential for eight selections; and data on yield and survival will continue to be collected from four regional variety trials. Decisions will be made on which advanced selections from the trial will be trademarked released as new cultivars. 4. To conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association;unique blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube selections and cultivars will continue to be acquired. Data will be collected on survival and yield on these plantings to determine suitability as niche crops in Kentucky. Persimmon and jujube trees will come into production and yield data will be collected.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? To breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release, over 300 pawpaw trees of controlled and open-pollinated crosses at the KSU Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in May and June 2020. These trees are part of KSU's pawpaw breeding program to be evaluated over the coming years as potential new KSU cultivar releases. Survival data was collected on about 1000 trees already established in the breeding orchard. Additionally, seeds of controlled and open-pollinated crosses were planted in the greenhouses for future planting and screening. A graduate student continued a project investigating self-fruitfulness of pawpaw. Seedlings of self- and cross- pollinated controlled crosses in the greenhouse which will be analyzed via DNA fingerprinting to determine if they are truly self-pollinated. To support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new trademarked varieties for potential release, germplasm material (seeds and scion wood) were distributed to over 650 people (including nursery cooperators, university researchers, individuals, and nonprofit organizations) who requested them. A graduate student continued a study investigating use of sulfur, copper, and conventional fungicides to control Phyllosticta fungal spot on pawpaw fruit and leaves. Seeds of genetically diverse material sent to us by volunteers around the US were planted in the greenhouse. Graduate students also performed an experiment to determine if twig length influences chill hours required in pawpaw. A graduate student successfully defended his thesis, The Impact of Five Grafting Techniques on Success Rate in Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), on November 14, 2019 and earned his Master of Science in Environmental Studies. To start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential for eight selections, data was collected by grower cooperators on flower number, fruit number, fruit weight, trunk diameter, and survival. Data was collected on survival for the pawpaw variety trial at UK Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability in Quicksand, KY with 10 pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections. Tree tube trial continued at Kentucky State University and collaborator Delaware State University examining four pawpaw cultivars grown using two different types of tree tubes, under organic management, to determine suitability of cultivars for organic production and examining tree tube use in pawpaw plantings. Shorter tree tubes were removed during winter 2019-2020 and replaced with taller tubes in spring 2020. Data on survival and growth were collected, entered, and analyzed. To conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association, an number of trials were continued. A blackberry trial was harvested twice weekly and weighed fruit to obtain yields and average fruit size for the blackberry selections. There were no fruit or nuts on the hazelnut, persimmon, or jujube trees in 2020 due to spring freezes, therefore yield and other fruit data were not able to be collected. Survival data were collected and dead trees removed due to the loss of several persimmon and jujube trees this year due to spring freezes and Asian Ambrosia beetle.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pomper, K.W., S.B. Crabtree, and J.D. Lowe. 2020. Pawpaw. Register of New Fruit and Nut Cultivars List 50. Editors Ksenija Gasic, John E. Preece, and David Karp. HortScience 50:30-31.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Jeremiah D. Lowe, Sheri B. Crabtree, Jacob Vincent, Andrew Berry, Clifford England, and Krit Raemakers. 2020. Ploidy Level in American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Cultivars. HortScience 55(1):5-7.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Crabtree, Sheri B., Kirk W. Pomper, and Jeremiah Lowe. 2020. Tree Tubes Can Improve Early Field-Planted Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Survival HortScience 55(9):S100.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Lowe, Jeremiah, Sheri Crabtree, and Kirk Pomper. 2020. Fruit Weight, Percent Seed, Soluble Solids, and Phyllosticta Incidence of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Cultivars and Advanced Selections at Kentucky State University. HortScience 55(9):S99.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Hamal, Manisha, Sijan Pandit, Jeremiah Lowe, Sheri Crabtree, and Kirk Pomper. 2020. Efficacy of Sulfur and Copper As Fungicides to Control Pawpaw Leaf and Fruit Spot (Phyllosticta asiminae). HortScience 55(9):S99.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Chaudhary, Anju, Jeremiah Lowe, Kirk Pomper, and Sheri Crabtree. 2020. Comparison of Berry Weight and Yield of Three Primocane-Fruiting Blackberry Selections Grown Organically in Frankfort, Kentucky. HortScience 55(9):S101.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Crabtree, Sheri B, Kirk W. Pomper, Jeremiah Lowe, and R. Neal Peterson. 2019. Precocious Flowering and Fruiting in Bark-Inlay Grafted Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Trees. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S255.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Behrends, Matthew, Jeremiah Lowe, Sheri B. Crabtree, and Kirk W. Pomper. 2019. The Impact of Five Grafting Techniques on Success Rate in Pawpaw (Asimina triloba). HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S199.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Lowe, Jeremiah, Sheri B. Crabtree, and Kirk W. Pomper. 2019. Fruit Weight, Percent Seed, and Soluble Solids of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Cultivars and Advanced Selections at Kentucky State University. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S256.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Sheri B. Crabtree and Jeremiah Lowe. 2019. The Kentucky State University Pawpaw Breeding Project. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S190.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Sheri B. Crabtree and Jeremiah Lowe. 2019. KSU-Chappell": A Unique Pawpaw Selection from Kentucky State University. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S190.


Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience includes small-scale and limited-resource farmers, organic farmers, orchardists, horticulturists, and homeowner/hobbyists in Kentucky and the southeastern United States, KSU undergraduate and graduate students seeking education and training in horticultural principles and methods, and horticulture research and Extension professionals. Changes/Problems:Data was not able to be obtained from one variety trial grower cooperator for the past 2 years; attempts will continue to be made to contact this cooperator and obtain data from their variety trial site in 2020. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One undergraduate student workedon research projects concerning soluble solids and seed content of pawpaw selectionsand four graduate students worked on projects concerning pawpaw self-compatibility, disease incidence in pawpaw, graftingmethods of pawpaw, and annonaceous acetogenin content of pawpaw selections. The students weretrained in the scientific method, laboratory techniques,field data collection, and gained writing and communication experience by making oral and poster presentations. Research and Extension professionals gained information on pawpaw and blackberry production disseminated at the American Society for Horticultural Science meeting, Kentucky State Horticultural Society meeting, Kentucky Nut Growers Association meetings, Third Thursday Thing field day events, UK Horticulture agent training, and the KSU pawpaw website, Youtube channel, and Facebook page. Students,the project PD, and Co-PDs attended state and national meetings to presentproject results. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information on this project was distributed to over 300 people at KSU Research and Demonstration Farm events, including the Third Thursday Thing horticulture field day, via field tours and presentations (120), two hands-on grafting workshops (65), and farm tours (50); 500 people attending the Kentucky State Horticultural Society meeting via oral presentations and an informational booth with literature distributed, 400 people attending the Organic Association of Kentucky Conference, attendees at the Kentucky State Fair, 100 people at the Kentucky Nut Growers Association Spring and Fall meetings, approximately 25 people at the Birmingham Native Plant Conference pawpaw workshop, 30 people at the Boyd County Small Farm and Garden Conference, and approximately 1000 people at the American Society for Horticultural Science annual meeting via poster and oral presentations. Three pawpaw variety fruit tasting events were held in Boone Co., Taylor Co., and Campbell Co., KY, attended by over 110 people. A training was held for 30 University of Kentucky horticulture Extension agents. Over 800 telephone calls, emails, and letters were answered concerning growing pawpaw, blackberries, and nut crops. We mentored one undergraduate and four graduate students in research projects. The KSU pawpaw website was updated with research news and information and had over 1.5 million total visitors since 2003 (over 70,000 this year). The KSU Pawpaw Facebook page was maintained and updated and reaches over 6000 followers. Informational videos on pawpaw propagation and production are available on YouTube and Vimeo and have been viewed by over 105,000 people. The Horticulture Field Day was live-streamed on Facebook to enable participants from around the country and internationally to experience the event and disseminate information more widely and viewed by over 2,800 people. Instructional information about planting pawpaw seeds was sent by mail to over 1,400 people who received pawpaw seeds. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. To breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release:Cross-pollinations of superior cultivars and selectionswill be performed in spring 2020 to continue the breeding process. Seeds saved from 2019 crosses will be planted in the greenhouse in spring 2020. Two-year old seedlings of crosses will be field-planted in spring 2020. 2. To support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new trademarked varieties for potential release:Germplasm of unique material will continue to be acquired. Two advanced selections are in the late stages of evaluation and likely to be trademarked and released in 2020-2021. 3. To start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential for eight selections:Data on yield and survival will continue to be collected from four regional variety trials. 4. To conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association. Unique blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube selections and cultivars will continue to be acquired. Data will be collected on survival and yield on these plantings to determine suitability as niche crops in Kentucky. Persimmon and jujube trees will come into production and yield data will be collected.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. To breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release. Pawpaw fruitfrom advanced selections were harvested and weighed three times weekly during August-Septemberto obtain yields and average fruit size for potential new pawpaw selectionreleases. Portions of older pawpaw orchards were removed in preparation for new pawpaw trial plantings. Over 500 pawpaw trees, most crosses between various cultivars, were planted at the KSU Research Farm in May and June 2019. These trees are part of KSU's pawpaw breeding program to be evaluated over the coming years as potential new KSU cultivar releases. Survival data was collected on previously planted trees in the breeding orchard. A graduate student began a project investigating self-fruitfulness of pawpaw. She planted seeds of self- and cross-pollinated controlled crosses in the greenhouse to determine if they are truly self-pollinated, and has selected trees for self- and cross-pollination for spring 2020. 2. To support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and develop new trademarked varieties for potential release.Pawpaw seeds and scion wood were packaged and mailed to over 1400 people who requested them. Pawpaw scion wood of advanced selections was collected and utilized for grafting experiments and distributed to cooperating nurseries. Pawpaw seeds were harvested, cleaned, and planted for use as future breeding and variety trials, rootstock for grafting, and distribution to the public. Additional pawpaw orchard maintenance was conducted, including paintingpawpaw tree trunks with diluted white latex paint in December as a preventative measure for southwest injury. A graduate student applied treatments to developing pawpaw fruit clusters and collected data on disease incidence on leaves and fruit as part of her thesis study on controlling phyllosticta fungal fruit spot in pawpawand collected data on fungal lesion coverage on leaves and fruit. A graduate student successfully defended her thesis, Efficacy of Sulfur and Copper as Fungicides to Control Pawpaw Leaf and Fruit Spot (Phyllosticta asiminae), on April 29, 2019. Another graduate student began a study investigating use of sulfur, copper, and conventional fungicides to control Phyllosticta fungal spot on pawpaw fruit and leaves. An undergraduate student conducted a study examining pawpaw fruit from 13 pawpaw selections to determine the average weight, percent seed, and soluble solids content of each selection. 3. To start and/or continue four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential for eight selections.Pawpaw fruit from advanced selectionsand other trees in variety trials were harvested and weighed three times weekly during August-September to obtain yields and average fruit size for pawpaw selections and cultivars. Data was received from grower cooperators on flower number, fruit number, fruit weight, trunk diameter, and survival. Pawpaw trees were field-grafted at UK Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability in Quicksand, KY, in May 2019 as part of a variety trial with 10 pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections. A graduate student collected data on survival and growth of grafted pawpaw trees in the greenhouse as part of his thesis study on grafting methods in pawpaw. A new orchard was established at Kentucky State University and collaborator Delaware State University to examinefour pawpaw cultivars grown using twotypes of tree tubes, under organic management, to determine suitability of cultivars for organic production and examining tree tube use in pawpaw plantings. 4. To conduct primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials to assess suitability for production in Kentucky under organic or conventional growing conditions to support the Organic Association of Kentucky and Kentucky Nut Growers Association. Blackberries were harvested twice weekly and fruit weighed to obtain data on yields and average fruit size for a number of the blackberry selections. Hazelnuts were harvestedand nuts weighedto obtain yields and average fruit size for the hazelnut cultivars. Persimmon leaves were collected from cultivars and wild specimens for ploidy analysis. Persimmon fruit were harvested from a range of genotypes and seed counts conducted as part of a study investigating persimmon ploidy level and possible seedlessness.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: M. Behrends, J. Lowe, S. Crabtree, and K. Pomper. 2019. The Impact of Four Grafting Techniques on Success Rate in Pawpaw (Asimina triloba). Association of 1890 Research Directors 19th Biennial Research Symposium Programs and Abstracts, Pg 67.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: S. Pandit, J. Lowe, S. Crabtree and K. W Pomper. 2019. Effectiveness of Sulfur and Copper as Fungicides to Control Pawpaw Leaf and Fruit Spot. Association of 1890 Research Directors 19th Biennial Research Symposium Programs and Abstracts, pg 110.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: C. Groathouse, J. D. Lowe, K. W. Pomper, and S. B. Crabtree, 2019. Pulp Recovery Rate Varies by Method in North American Pawpaw Cultivars. Association of 1890 Research Directors 19th Biennial Research Symposium Programs and Abstracts, pg 256.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: A. Thompson, J. Lowe, S. B. Crabtree, and K. W. Pomper. 2019. Evaluation of Four Kentucky State University Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Advanced Selections and Two Commercial Cultivars. Association of 1890 Research Directors 19th Biennial Research Symposium Programs and Abstracts, pg 257.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Crabtree, Sheri B, Kirk W. Pomper, Jeremiah Lowe, and R. Neal Peterson. 2019. Precocious Flowering and Fruiting in Bark-Inlay Grafted Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Trees. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S255.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Behrends, Matthew, Jeremiah Lowe, Sheri B. Crabtree, and Kirk W. Pomper. 2019. The Impact of Five Grafting Techniques on Success Rate in Pawpaw (Asimina triloba). HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S199.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Lowe, Jeremiah, Sheri B. Crabtree, and Kirk W. Pomper. 2019. Fruit Weight, Percent Seed, and Soluble Solids of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Cultivars and Advanced Selections at Kentucky State University. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S256.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Sheri B. Crabtree and Jeremiah Lowe. 2019. The Kentucky State University Pawpaw Breeding Project. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S190.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Sheri B. Crabtree and Jeremiah Lowe. 2019. KSU-Chappell": A Unique Pawpaw Selection from Kentucky State University. HortScience supplement 54(9) pg S190.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Jeremiah D. Lowe, Sheri B. Crabtree, Jacob Vincent, Andrew Berry, Clifford England, and Krit Raemakers. 2019. Ploidy level in American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Cultivars. HortScience 55:4-7.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pandit, Sijan. 2019. Efficacy of Sulfur and Copper as Fungicides to Control Pawpaw Leaf and Fruit Spot (Phyllosticta asiminae), on April 29, 2019


Progress 10/10/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience includes small-scale and limited-resource farmers, organic farmers, orchardists, horticulturists, and homeowner/hobbyists in Kentucky and the southeastern United States, KSU undergraduate and graduate students seeking education and training in horticultural principles and methods, and horticulture research and Extension professionals. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One undergraduate student is working on research projects concerning soluble solids and seed content of pawpaw selections, and four graduate students worked on projects concerning pawpaw self-compatibility, disease incidence in pawpaw, grafting methods of pawpaw, and annonaceous acetogenin content of pawpaw selections. The students are trained in the scientific method, laboratory techniques, and field data collection, and gain writing and communication experience by making oral and poster presentations. Research and Extension professionals provided information on pawpaw and blackberry production at the American Society for Horticultural Science meeting, Kentucky State Horticultural Society meeting, Kentucky Nut Growers Association meetings, the Third Thursday Thing sustainable agriculture workshop series field day events, a KSU Extension retreat, and the KSU pawpaw website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information on this project was distributed to over 300 people at KSU Research and Demonstration Farm events, including the Third Thursday Thing sustainable agriculture workshop series horticulture field day via field tours and presentations (100), two hands-on grafting workshops (70), Celebrate Ag Day (100), and other farm tours (50); 500 people attending the Kentucky State Horticultural Society meeting via oral presentations and an informational booth with literature, attendees of the Kentucky State Fair, 100 people at the Kentucky Nut Growers Association Spring and Fall meetings, approximately 50 people at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention, and approximately 1000 people at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Meeting via poster and oral presentations. Three pawpaw variety fruit-tasting events (attended by over 120 people) were held in Boone Co., Kenton Co., and Campbell Co., KY. Over 800 telephone calls, emails, and letters concerning growing pawpaw, blackberries, and nut crops were answered. We mentored one undergraduate and four graduate students in research projects. The KSU pawpaw website was updated with research news and information and had over 1.4 million total visitors since 2003 (77,365 this year). The KSU Pawpaw Facebook page, which reaches over 4500 followers, was maintained and updated. Informational videos on pawpaw propagation and production are available on YouTube and Vimeo; these have been viewed by over 91,000 people. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Cross-pollinations of superior cultivars and selections will be performed in spring 2019 to continue the breeding process. Seeds saved from 2018 crosses will be planted in the greenhouse. Two-year-old seedlings of crosses will be field-planted. We will continue to identify and sample pawpaw germplasm of unique material. Two advanced pawpaw selections will be trademarked and released in 2019 or 2020. Data on yield and survival will continue to be collected from four pawpaw regional variety trials. Unique blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube selections and cultivars will continue to be acquired and evaluated. Data on survival and yield for these plantings will be collected to determine suitability as niche crops in Kentucky.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In research to breed and select new superior pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections for potential cultivar release in objective 1, a new orchard site was prepared for new pawpaw trial planting. Approximately, 400 pawpaw trees from a range of crosses of various cultivars were established at the KSU Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in June 2018. Flowering and fruiting data for these trees will be evaluated over the next 10 years as these trees are examined as potential new cultivar releases. KSU-Chappell™, a new pawpaw cultivar from the KSU breeding program, was released in September 2018. The KSU-Chappell™ pawpaw is a mid-season ripening cultivar that is extremely vigorous and high-yielding. KSU-Chappell™ bears large fruit (250 grams on average) with a creamy, sweet, mild banana-pineapple flavor with floral notes, and a low percent seed (5 percent seed by weight). Trees of KSU-Chappell™ will be available for purchase from licensed nurseries. A list is available at http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/LicensedPropagators.htm. For Objective 2, a number of activities were completed to support ongoing efforts related to KSU's role as the USDA Repository for pawpaw in germplasm acquisition and preservation and to develop new trademarked varieties for potential release. Pawpaw germplasm was provided to nurseries, scientists, and the general public; pawpaw seeds and scion wood were sent to 858 people who requested them. A graduate student extracted DNA from leaves from crosses and self-pollinated seedlings of the pawpaw cultivars Sunflower and Susquehanna to determine self-compatibility in pawpaw. Genetic material from these seedlings was analyzed using a DNA sequencer to determine parentage and whether pawpaw was self-fertile. Genetic analysis indicated that pawpaw is self-fertile; however, cross-pollination results in more fruitfulness. A graduate second student conducted a study concerning the control of phyllosticta fungal fruit spot in pawpaw with application of sulfur or copper and data were collected on fungal lesion coverage on leaves and fruit of developing pawpaw fruit clusters. Disease incidence data will be analyzed after harvest. A third graduate student performed brine shrimp analysis on pawpaw twig extracts of several varieties to investigate acetogenin bioactivity levels for a number of germplasm selections. An undergraduate student conducted research with 13 pawpaw selections to examine fruit attributes such as average weight, percent seed, and soluble solids content of each selection for germplasm characterization. To support Objective 3, four regional pawpaw advanced selection trials were continued to examine precocity, yield, fruit characteristics, and plant patent potential for eight selections. Some early fruiting data were collected from advanced selections and yields and average fruit size data were collected from pawpaw selections and cultivars. Data on flower number, fruit number, fruit weight, trunk diameter, and survival on the same advance selections were also received from grower cooperators at locations outside KSU. Data will be analyzed to assist in decisions on which selections should be released as new KSU cultivars. In addition, 55 pawpaw trees were field grafted at UK Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability in Quicksand, KY to establish a variety trial with 10 pawpaw cultivars and advanced selections. For Objective 4, primocane-fruiting blackberry, hazelnut, persimmon, and jujube variety trials were continued to assess suitability for production in Kentucky. The blackberry trial contained the selections 'Prime-Ark® Traveler', 'Stark® Black Gem®', and APF-268, which are all primocane fruiting selections from the University of Arkansas. In 2018, APF-268 and 'Stark® Black Gem®' had significantly larger fruit sizes (4.4 g and 4.2 g) compared to 'Prime-Ark® Traveler' (3.3 g). Additionally, data will be collected to make cultivar recommendations. Both jujube and persimmon plantings continued to grow; fruiting data should commence in 2019 for the jujube trial.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Crabtree, S, Pomper, K., Lowe, J. 2018. Early Performance of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Cultivars and Advanced Selections in Grower Trials at Three Locations. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington, DC. HortScience 53(9 Supplement):S277
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Lowe, J., Crabtree, S., Pomper, K. (2018, July 30-August 3). Fruit Characteristics of Kentucky State Universitys Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Cultivars and Advanced Selections. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington, DC. HortScience 53(9 Supplement):S278
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Thapa Magar, S., Pomper, K., Lowe, J., Crabtree, S. 2018. Self-Compatibility and Comparison of Its Impact on Fruit and Seed Set in the North American Pawpaw. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington, DC. HortScience 53(9 Supplement):S81
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Gearhart, M., Lowe, J., Crabtree, S., Pomper, K. 2018. Fruiting Characteristics of Three Primocane-Fruiting Blackberry Selections at Kentucky State University. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington, DC. HortScience 53(9 Supplement):S386
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Momo, H., Pomper, K., Lowe, J. & Crabtree, S. 2018. Comparing Acetogenin Activity in Ripe Fruit and Twig of Pawpaw [Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal] Varieties Using the Brine Shrimp Test. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington, DC. HortScience 53(9 Supplement):S304-S305
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Pandit, S., Lowe, J., Crabtree, S., Pomper, K. 2018. Efficacy of Sulfur As a Fungicide to Control Pawpaw Leaf and Fruit Spot. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Washington, DC. HortScience 53(9 Supplement): S276-S207
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Thapa Magar, Srijana, Kirk William Pomper, Jeremiah Lowe and Sheri B. Crabtree. Self-compatibility in Pawpaw: Parentage Confirmation and Evaluation of Fruit and Seed Set in Two Pawpaw Varieties Sunflower and Susquehanna in Kentucky. HortScience 52(9): S238.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Lowe, J.D., S.B. Crabtree, K.W. Pomper, J.R. Clark, and J.G. Strang. 2017. Fruiting Characteristics of Three Primocane-fruiting Blackberry Selections at Kentucky State University. University of Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable 2017 Annual Research Report PR-739:8-9
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Crabtree, Sheri and Shawn Wright. 2018. First hazelnut blooms in late February. Kentucky Colonels Kernel, Newsletter of the Kentucky Nut Growers Association. 2-48:1 p. 5.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Crabtree, Sheri. 2018. Sheris Recipe Corner. Kentucky Colonels Kernel, Newsletter of the Kentucky Nut Growers Association. 2-48:1 p. 6.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Lowe, Jeremiah, Sheri B. Crabtree and Kirk William Pomper. Comparison of Fruit Characteristics of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Advanced Selections from Kentucky State University with Commercially Available Cultivars. HortScience 52(9): S351.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Sheri B. Crabtree and Jeremiah Lowe. KSU-BensonTM: A New Pawpaw Variety from Kentucky State University. HortScience 52(9): S350.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pomper, Kirk W., Jacob Vincent, Jeremiah Lowe and Sheri B. Crabtree. Ploidy Level of American Persimmon in Kentucky: Could It Impact Production Strategies for Seedless Fruit? HortScience 52(9): S409.