Horticulture Specialist Dr. Emran Ali and an interdisciplinary team have been awarded a $6 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
The four-year grant will assist efforts to lessen the risks posed by common vegetable pests, particularly Phytophthora blight, which threatens the vegetable industry in the United States.
The project will be led by the project director and Professor Dr. Soum Sanogo at New Mexico State University. Researchers from various institutions nationwide will assist with the project including the University of Illinois, University of Florida, University of Arizona, Texas A&M University, and Rutgers University. Together, the team will work to develop a comprehensive system-based approach to combat diseases prevalent in high-value vegetable crops such as peppers, cucurbits, and more.
