With increasing demand for local foods, inner city agriculture (ICA) is being adopted across the USA

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Virginia State University $599,734 on December 15, 2025, under the Capacity Building for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture program (CFDA 10.326) to develop potomato crops through grafting tomato and potato plants for inner-city agriculture applications, with performance through December 14, 2028, at the Petersburg, Virginia campus.

Virginia State University will evaluate potato and tomato varieties for their effects on potomato disease resistance and yield potential; examine nutritional quality and consumer acceptability of tomatoes and potatoes harvested from potomato plants through sensory panels; identify mRNAs and small RNAs mobilized between tomato and potato in the heterografting system and dissect candidate genes controlling sink-source recognition; expand the university's urban agriculture certificate program through scholarships and establish a citizen science program focused on potomato; and establish a mentoring program supervising local K-12 students. The project addresses fundamental research questions on grafting and generates knowledge on mobile RNAs and research-based information to support extension capacity for inner-city food producers and farmers.

IT offers a range of health and ecosystem benefits. However, IT also presents its own challenges, one of which is the limited space in inner city areas. New strategies are needed to efficiently use inner city land for food production. We have assembled an integrated team to develop a potomato crop through grafting tomato and potato. The PI's research has found potomato has strong potential for UA use. We also address fundamental questions related to grafting. Our overarching goal is to strengthen VSU's capacity for long-term research and extension on ICA. Specifically, VSU will: 1. Evaluate potential effects of potato and tomato varieties on potomato's disease resistance and yield potential; 2. Examine the nutritional quality of tomatoes and potatoes harvested from potomato plants and assess consumer acceptability through sensory panels; 3. Identify mrnas and small rnas that are mobilized from tomato to potato and vice versa using the heterografting system and dissect candidate genes that control sink-source recognition; 4. Expand VSU's UA certificate program through scholarships and establish a citizen science program on potomato; 5. Establish a mentoring program to supervise localk-12 students. This project generates new knowledge on mobile rnas and research-based information required for extension. Therefore, IT will strengthen VSU's extension capacity in serving inner city producers and farmers.