Plant Molecular Breeding Lab

Research

Dr. Latha Melmaiee’s lab focuses on small fruit crop improvement for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance using physiology, genomics, and molecular breeding approaches

Some of the active programs are:

• The strawberry projects include large-scale germplasm screening against grey mold and anthracnose fungi to identify the resistant genotypes for fruit rot decay (USDA-NIFA). This project also aims to identify candidate genes and genome-wide associations for gray mold fruit rot resistance in strawberries. Other research projects in Strawberry focuses on identifying the less toxic, cost-effective alternatives to chemical fungicides to mitigate grey mold and anthracnose infections.
• The blueberry projects study heat stress tolerance in northern blueberries. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are highly sensitive to heat stress; reduced fruit quality and quantity were reported when temperatures reached above 35°C. The group tries to understand the high-temperature stress tolerance mechanisms in blueberries by studying at the physiological and molecular level using untapped wild species, cultivars, and segregating populations.

Other collaborative projects include:

• Physiological and molecular characterization of sugar maples for drought stress tolerance
• Cultivar evaluation of industrial hemp of suitable varieties for the Mid-Atlantic region

Research Interest Areas

---

Phenotyping of agronomically important traits and biotic and Germplasm improvement, breeding of small fruits (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries), and some specialty vegetable crops.

Integration of classical plant breeding and modern genomic tools to improve horticultural and nutraceutical traits.

Professional Affiliations