Horticulture & Related FieldsCrystal Conner
2018 The Corliss Knapp Engle Scholarship in Horticulture
Crystal Conner is a rst-year PhD candidate in plant pathology at the University of Florida. She is conducting research on identifying blueberry plant genes that are resistant to bacterial wilt, which is fatal. In 2016 bacterial wilt, caused by the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum, was isolated and con rmed on multiple blueberry farms in Florida. Conner is studying the blueberry genomes of both wild species and cultivars. e blueberry industry in North America is rapidly growing, projecting a 25% increase in production over a four- year span, from 750.2 million pounds in 2015 to 940 million pounds in 2019. Fresh blueberry retail sales in the US were valued at $1.5 billion in 2015. Conner’s research will aid in the development of disease-resistant cultivars.
The Corliss Knapp Engle Scholarship in Horticulture
To encourage the development of research, documentation, and teaching skills in the field of horticulture.
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