The primary purpose of this agreement is to validate a high-throughput sequencing protocol for detection of viruses in strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry/blackberry crops via an inter-laboratory…

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded the University of Florida $124,783 in a Cooperative Agreement effective September 1, 2026, to validate a high-throughput sequencing protocol for detecting viruses in strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry/blackberry crops through an inter-laboratory comparison.

The project brings together three laboratories—University of California Davis Foundation Plant Services, University of Arkansas Clean Plant Center, and Plant Protection and Quarantine Science & Technology Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostics Laboratory—to standardize virus detection methods. The work aims to reduce the number of tests required to certify propagative plant material for the berry industry while maintaining detection capability for virus-infected material, benefiting both Plant Protection and Quarantine operations and growers seeking faster certification pathways.

The award runs through August 31, 2027, with place of performance in Florida. The University of Florida Division of Sponsored Research administers the cooperative agreement as the prime recipient.

The primary purpose of this agreement is to validate a high-throughput sequencing protocol for detection of viruses in strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry/blackberry crops via an inter-laboratory comparison among three laboratories (university of california davis foundation plant services, university of arkansas clean plant center, and plant protection and quarantine science & technology plant pathogen confirmatory diagnostics laboratory). This will aid plant protection and quarantine and the berry industry by reducing the number of tests needed to certify propagative plant material without compromising the ability to detect virus-infected material.