West Grove, PA—The USDA has announced an award of a $4.6 million for a five-year grant to combat rose rosette disease (RRD). RRD is a mite born viral disease that threatens to decimate the US landscape rose industry and eliminate one of the most popular garden plants from American yards. The funds are matched by $4.6 million of in-kind and cash contributions from major industry growers and breeders.
The funds will be used to develop best management practices, expand outreach and education efforts and to map genes for RRD resistance in roses. The funding represents the culmination of a two-year initiative originally conceived and funded by Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle to reach out to key University researchers and industry leaders to recognize and respond to the serious threat that RRD represents. Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle is a leading genetics company involved directly in breeding roses, perennials and woody plants, and introducing plants from other breeders around the world. “We are pleased and delighted that the USDA recognizes the severity of this threat and the importance of roses to the nursery industry and to millions of gardeners who love and grow roses in their home landscapes” says Steve Hutton, President and CEO of Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle.
Dr. Mike Dobres, Managing Director of NovaFlora LLC, the research and breeding division of Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle has led the charge in many of the initiatives of the past several years regarding RRD. According to Dobres, “we needed to assemble a dream team. We needed the best science, and to do that we needed the best researchers.”
Ultimately, Dr. David Byrne, of Texas A&M University, was chosen to lead the group. The research group working with Dr. Byrne was selected from five leading University and government research centers with a wide geographic distribution, ranging from Texas to Florida, Oklahoma, Delaware and Maryland. The research team includes more than 20 scientists with expertise in plant pathology, DNA detection technologies, genetic mapping and rose breeding. The group also includes industry partners from many of the major growers and commercial breeders throughout the USA. “The beauty of this research approach,” says Dr. Dobres, “ is that it combines both short term cultural solutions as well as long term solutions to breed roses that are resistant to RRD.”
The rose is the national floral emblem of the United States. The garden rose industry is truly a national industry and the rose is the single most valuable nursery genus, accounting for approximately $400 million in domestically grown plant sales.
Source: Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle
