Summary
A&M has been breeding onion cultivars for the last 45 years and have developed popular open pollinated cultivars (e.g. Texas Grano 1015Y, Texas Legend). Uvalde Center’s vegetable breeding program is conducting research and developing onion and watermelon cultivars suited for the Southern region of the U.S.
Mechanical Harvest
Ensuring Future Economic Viability of US Short-day Onion Production Through Mechanical Harvesting
USDA-NIFA SCRI # 2023-51181-41172
Short-day onions, grown in the southern United States, are for the fresh and sweet market class. High moisture and low dry matter content are potential factors for high bruise damage in this market class. Traditionally, manual harvest has been utilized to minimize bruise damage. A high cost and shortage of farm workers are among the reasons for the crop’s acreage decline. The industry wants to transition to mechanical harvest to sustain and increase in short-day sweet onion acreage.
The project is funded by the USDA-NIFA (FY 24 to 28) and unites four key short-day onion-producing states—Texas, Georgia, New Mexico, and California—to develop a sustainable, efficient, and economically viable mechanical harvesting system for short-day onions. This initiative aims to empower growers and packers with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in a competitive market by integrating advanced cultivars, optimized harvest systems, and improved production practices,.
The project has the following four key objectives:
Objective 1 – Identify machines and practices that result in an economically viable mechanical harvesting system
Objective 2 – Evaluate germplasm and standard management practices for mechanical harvesting
Objective 3 – Engage and involve stakeholders in project planning and outcomes
Objective 4 – Conduct an economic analysis of harvesting management practices and analysis of adoption barriers
Team members
Texas A&M University: Subas Malla (PD), Stephen Searcy (Co-PD), Juan Anciso, Francisco Abello, and Larry Stein
University of Georgia: Bhabesh Dutta, Md Sultan Mahmud, Theodore McAvoy, Esendugue Greg Fonsah, Angelos Deltsidis
New Mexico State University; Christopher Cramer
University of California: Philip Waisen
Stop the Rot
Combating Onion Bacterial Diseases with Pathogenomics Tools and Enhanced Management Strategies
USDA-NIFA SCRI # 2019-51181-30013
Thrips
Increasing Onion Productivity via Integrated Management of Thrips
TDA-SCBG # GSC2022-45
Breeding for Watermelon
Watermelon is an important vegetable crop in the U.S. Biotic stresses such as Fusarium wilt and anthracnose leaf blight are major diseases in watermelon growing regions. The objectives of the program are to understand genetics of host resistance and develop disease tolerant cultivars. The program is evaluating Texas A&M and USDA germplasm and creating genetic variability by making selected crossings. The project plans to utilize gene editing and genomic selection as a breeding tool to develop cultivars. The program is also testing to develop tetraploid germplasm.
Dr. Subas Malla
Team Members
- Dr. Lakhvir Kaur, Post-doctoral Research Associate and Project Manager (USDA-NIFA SCRI #2023-51181-41172)
- Nathalia Figueroa-Silva, Research Associate
- Bignya Chandra Khanal, Graduate Assistant – Research (MS)
- Barsha Basnet, Graduate Assistant – Research (MS)
- Filomena Hernandez, Program Aide
- Steven Ramos, Non-affiliated student worker
- John Dong, Non-Affiliated student Worker
Publications
Note: †Graduate student; ‡Research Associate; §Corresponding Author
- Sharma, S., A. Khar, J.S. Khosa, S. Mandal, S. Malla§. 2024. Recent Advances in Molecular Genetics of Onion. Horticulturae 10: 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030256
- Patel T., L.M. Quesada-Ocampo, T.C. Wehner§, B.P. Bhatta†, E. Correa†, and S. Malla§. 2023. Recent advances and challenges in management of Colletotrichum orbiculare, the causal agent of watermelon anthracnose. Horticulturae 9:1132
- Bhatta B.P.†, M. Khanal‡, and S. Malla§. 2023. Whole Genome and 16S rRNA Dataset of Pectobacterium carotovorum Strain 21TX0081 Isolated from a Symptomatic Onion Foliage in Texas. Data Brief 46: 108823.
- Khanal M.‡, B.P. Bhatta†, and S. Malla§. 2023. Isolation and Characterization of Bacteria Associated with Onion and First Report of Onion Diseases Caused by Five Bacterial Pathogens in Texas, U.S.A. Plant Dis 107:1721-1729. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-22-2206-SR
- Khanal M.‡ and S. Malla§. 2023. Draft Genome Sequence and Annotation of Pseudomonas carnis strain 20TX0167 Isolated from Onion (Allium cepa). Microbiol. Resour. Announc. :e01051-22
- Bhatta, B.P.†, T. Patel, E. Correa†, T.C. Wehner, K.M. Crosby, M.J. Thomson, and S. Malla§. 2022. Data on Inheritance of Race 2 Anthracnose Resistance in Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) Biparental Mapping Populations. Data Brief 44:1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2022.108546
- Khanal, M.‡, B.P. Bhatta†, S. Timilsina, S. Ghimire, K. Cochran, and S. Malla§. 2022. Curtobacterium allii sp. nov., the Actinobacteria Species Causing Onion Bulb Disease. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek116:83-96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-022-01775-z
- Angira, B.§, Y. Zhang, Y. Zhang, C.F. Scheuring, L. Masor, J. Rothe, B.B. Singh, H.-B. Zhang, D.B. Hays, M. Zhang, M. Khanal‡, E. Correa†, B.P. Bhatta†, and S. Malla§. 2022. Genetic Dissection of Iron Deficiency Chlorosis by QTL Analysis in Cowpea. Euphytica 218:38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-022-02989-y
- Bhatta, B.P.†, T. Patel, E. Correa†, T.C. Wehner, K.M. Crosby, M.J. Thomson, R. Metz, S. Wang, M. Brun, C.D. Johnson, and S. Malla§. 2022. Dissection of Race 1 Anthracnose Resistance in a Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) Biparental Mapping Population. Euphytica. 218:157. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1710183/v1
- Khanal, M.‡, S. Timilsina, B.P. Bhatta†, K. Bophela, T. Coutinho, K. Cochran, and S. Malla§. 2022. Pseudomonas uvaldensis sp. nov., a Bacterial Pathogen Causing Onion Bulb Rot, Isolated from Texas, USA. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 72:005311. https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005311
- Correa, E.†, K. Crosby, and S. Malla§. 2021. Optimizing Seedling Screening Method for Anthracnose Resistance in Watermelon. Plant Health Prog. 22:536-543. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-04-21-0077-RS
- Bhatta, B.P.† and S. Malla§. 2020. Improving Horticultural Crops via CRISPR/Cas9: Current Successes and Prospects. Plants. 9:1360. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101360
- Correa, E.†, S. Malla§, K. Crosby, and C.A. Avila. 2020. Evaluation of Genotypes Breeding for Improved Productivity in Watermelon. Horticulturae. 6:67. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6040067
- Carpenter, N.R., E. Wright, S. Malla§, L. Singh, D. Van Sanford, A. Clark, S. Harrison, J.P. Murphy, J. Costa, S. Chao, G.L. Brown‐Guedira, N. McMaster, D.G. Schmale III, C.A. Griffey, and N. Rawat§. 2020. Identification and Validation of Fusarium Head Blight Resistance QTL in the US Soft Red Winter Wheat Cultivar ‘Jamestown’. Crop Sci. 60(6):2919-2930. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20307
- Griffey, C.§, S. Malla, W. Brooks, J. Seago, A. Christopher, W.E. Thomason, R.M. Pitman, R. Markham, M.E. Vaughn, D.W. Dunaway, M. Beahm, C.L. Barrack, E. Rucker, H. Behl, T. Hardiman, B. Beahm, P. Browning, D. Schmale III, N. McMaster, J.T. Custis, S. Gulick, S.B. Ashburn, N. Joneds Jr., B.-K. Baik, H. Bockelman, D. Marshall, M. Fountain, G. Brown-Guedira, C. Cowger, S. Cambron, J. Kolmer, Y. Jin, X. Chen, K. Garland-Campbell, and E. Sparry. 2020. Registration of ‘Hilliard’ Wheat. J. Plant Reg. 14(3):406-417. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20073
- Meier, N.A. §, S. Malla, J.C. Oakes, J.P. Murphy, B.-K. Baik, S. Chao and C.A. Griffey. 2020. Registration of Soft Red Winter Wheat VA11DH-P46xTrib-28, VA11DH-P46xTrib-99, and VA11DH-P46xTrib-103 Germplasm Lines with Exceptional Milling and Cookie Baking Performance. J. Plant Reg. 14(3):450-456. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20055