U of I researchers awarded $579,000 for specialty crop studies
New funding will help U of I researchers develop solutions for potato, onion, bean and huckleberry production
November 6, 2026
MOSCOW, Idaho — Research to improve potato storage, manage crop diseases and expand huckleberry production will receive $579,000 in federal grants awarded to University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences researchers through the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
The funding comes through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service administers to help specialty crop growers compete in domestic and international markets. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, nursery plants and flowers. State departments of agriculture apply directly for funding and then award grants to universities, nonprofits, commodity groups and other organizations. USDA approved $86.6 million for the program for fiscal year 2026.
Preventing potato sprouting
Gustavo Teixeira, an associate professor and potato postharvest physiologist who holds the Wayne and Peggy Thiessen Potato Research Professorship Endowment, was awarded $149,000 to evaluate sorgoleone, a bioherbicide derived from sorghum roots, as an alternative to chlorpropham (CIPC), the long-standing industry standard for controlling potato sprouting. Sorgoleone suppresses the growth of competing plants.
Teixeira will compare sorgoleone’s effectiveness with that of CIPC, applying sorgoleone as a spray and as a heated fog. Plant sciences doctoral student Anuja Rijal is assisting with the research.
Managing potato virus Y
Kasia Duellman, an Extension specialist in seed potato pathology, received $141,000 to evaluate biological products for controlling potato virus Y (PVY). The products include salicylic acid, a plant hormone that plays a key role in activating plant defense responses against pathogens. Duellman currently recommends a combination of mineral oil and insecticides to manage PVY and hopes biological products may offer growers an additional tool.
“This is a virus that’s hard to manage,” Duellman said. “There’s no silver bullet. If you rely just on insecticide, it may make PVY worse in some years.”
Improving irrigation for beans and onions
James Woodhall, an Extension specialist in plant pathology, and Emily Bedwell, an Extension irrigation specialist, received $80,000 through the Idaho Bean Commission’s application to conduct trials in Kimberly and Parma examining how irrigation strategies affect bean yield and quality. Using advanced soil-moisture monitoring technology, the researchers will also investigate how irrigation affects disease development and bean quality.
The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee received a $70,000 grant for another Woodhall-led project examining the effects of irrigation practices on bacterial decay, yield and bulb quality in onions. Woodhall will compare drip, furrow and overhead irrigation systems and assess their economic returns based on crop yield and quality. The project will also evaluate how well different onion varieties grow under overhead irrigation and investigate how changes in moisture levels affect onion quality.
“Typically, Idaho’s great climate means we have minimal disease pressure, but plants still need water,” Woodhall said. “These projects will investigate the ways we can use irrigation to get optimum yields while minimizing any potential disease pressure.”
Exploring commercial huckleberry production
Research associate Jenny Knerr and weed science principal researcher Joan Campbell received $139,000 to advance research on huckleberries, Idaho’s state fruit. Because huckleberries are notoriously difficult to transplant, commercial production has remained elusive. The project will grow huckleberry plants from small tissue samples and use chemicals to double their number of chromosomes, with the goal of improving plant vigor, fruit production and ease of propagation.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to try to improve the huckleberry as a specialty crop since it’s something that’s high value and in high demand,” Knerr said.
ISDA awarded grants totaling about $1.9 million for 19 projects submitted by Idaho organizations. U of I is finalizing agreements to accept its share of the funding.
Media contact
John O'Connell
Assistant Director of Communications, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
208-530-5959
joconnell@uidaho.edu