Pumpkins are an iconic US crop grown for fall season harvest

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Florida $3.294 million on July 15, 2026, under the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (Assistance Listing 10.309) to improve pumpkin sustainability throughout the supply chain and reduce the billion-plus pounds of pumpkins discarded annually in U.S. landfills.

The award funds a transdisciplinary research and extension effort addressing pumpkin sustainability from cultivation through consumer use. The project reduces pre-harvest losses caused by insects and pathogens through genomics-assisted breeding, improves harvest index for hull-less snack and oilseed pumpkins by enhancing fruit quality to enable dual harvesting of vegetable and seed portions, and develops marketing materials educating consumers on food-safe decoration and display to improve post-harvest sustainability. The team brings together plant breeders, horticulture extension specialists, food safety experts, behavioral scientists, and marketing professionals.

Work is performed in Gainesville, Florida, with a period of performance through July 14, 2030. The University of Florida Division of Sponsored Research administers the award as prime recipient.

While some are used for their seeds and flesh, most are grown as seasonal ornamentals to be used briefly as d & eacute; COR and then, typically, discarded in landfills – representing missed economic opportunities and contributing to the nation's food waste problem. Over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins end up in landfills annually, amplifying local and regional waste management challenges. We propose to improve pumpkin sustainability throughout the supply chain – from cultivar to kitchen table – by reducing pre- harvest losses, expanding the culinary use of edible ornamental and hull-less snack/oilseed pumpkins, and changing consumer behavior. Pre-harvest losses due to insects and pathogens can be mitigated by genomics-assisted breeding. Harvest index can be improved for hull-less snack/oilseed pumpkins by improving fruit quality so the vegetable portion of the fruit can also be harvested. Marketing materials educating consumers on food-safe decoration and display will improve post-harvest sustainability. This systems approach explores the full lifecycle and is transdisciplinary, bringing together plant breeders, horticulture extension specialists, food safety experts, behavioral scientists, and marketing professionals.