SCOPE 2.0: Refining Organic Breeding Pipelines to Produce Improved Varieties and Workforce
Project Director
Edward Charles Brummer
Year Funded
2020
Award Number
2020-51300-32275
Funded Institution
University of California, Davis
Grant Program
OREI (Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative)
USDA NIFA Report
Project Overview
The Student Collaborative Organic Plant Breeding Education (SCOPE) program integrates cultivar development for California’s organic farmers with experiential education and training of the next generation of plant breeders specializing in organic systems. During SCOPE 2.0, graduate and undergraduate students under faculty guidance co-led breeding endeavors in dry bean, tomato, pepper, wheat, zinnia, and celtuce. Students took part in all phases of the process, from initial selections and crosses through development and release of new cultivars. SCOPE collaborated with the Organic Seed Alliance and the California Wheat Commission to build a network with farmers, organic seed growers, breeders, and other stakeholders.
A total of 25 graduate and 47 undergraduate students participated in SCOPE 2.0 at the University of California, Davis and Cal Poly Pomona. The dry bean project concluded in 2021 with the release of five high-yielding cultivars with resistance to bean mosaic virus. The pepper project submitted two jalapeno cultivars and one yellow bell pepper for release in 2024. Three F1 hybrid and five inbred tomato lines were identified in 2024 for potential release as new cultivars. The wheat team screened germplasm for yield, drought and disease resilience, and culinary traits and identified 40 advanced lines and three older cultivars for further evaluation.
Farmer Takeaways
(1) The ongoing SCOPE program seeks California farmer collaborators to participate in breeding, cultivar evaluation, seed increase, and networking with student plant breeders.
(2) Five dry common bean cultivars were released, offering high yield and virus resistance along with heirloom color and culinary traits.
(3) Two large jalapeno pepper cultivars for stuffing or frying, and one sunscald-resistant yellow bell pepper, slated for release in 2024-25, have outyielded industry standards.
(4) Several nonhybrid and F1 hybrid tomato cultivars with good heirloom flavor and resistance to disease and physiological disorders are nearing release.
(5) SCOPE wheat breeding endeavors have yielded high-anthocyanin blue, purple, and dark red lines as well as heritage lines with improved agronomic performance.