This $722,166 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants program (CFDA 10.200) supports the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Northeast Area in evaluating industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) genetic resources for resistance to four major diseases. The project aims to identify disease-resistant hemp germplasm that can improve yields and product quality, and develop new publicly available, disease-resistant hemp varieties across three important market classes. Annually, at least 100 hemp accessions from the USDA ARS Plant Genetic Resources Unit repository will be tested for tolerance to Fusarium head blight, powdery mildew, Septoria leaf spot, and downy mildew in field trials. High-quality evaluation data will be made publicly accessible through the GRIN-GLOBAL database. Resistant hemp lines discovered through this work will be crossed to generate improved, regulatory-compliant hemp germplasm, and incorporated into research to identify genetic markers for disease resistance.
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