Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) are one of the South’s sweetest natural treasures—famous for their rich, “candy-like” flavor and incredible ability to thrive in heat and humidity. Native from coastal Virginia through Florida and west to eastern Texas, muscadines flourish where summer is intense and winters stay above 10° F.
Muscadines are beloved for their natural strengths: outstanding disease resistance, remarkable insect tolerance, and unmatched adaptation to the southern climate.
Modern tomatoes often sacrifice flavor for traits like yield, shelf life and disease resistance. But now, an international team of researchers, including University of Georgia plant geneticist Esther van der Knaap, has uncovered new clues about how that flavor was lost during tomato domestication and breeding, and identified genetic tools that could help breeders bring it back.
Congratulations to our IPBGG members on their outstanding honors and achievements in August!
- Sindoora Nalajala (Chu Lab) for 1st place in fruit breeding oral competition at the recent ASHS annual meeting
- Gaurab Bhattarai (Conner Lab), whose published paper from his dissertation won the "Outstanding Fruit Publication of the Year" at the same meeting
- TifTuf, the Wayne Hanna-Brian Schwartz Bermudagrass, came in 2nd in the 2026 "Coolest Thing Made in Georgia." It beat out such icons such as the Chick-fil-A sandwich, the Stuckey's Pecan Log, the Kia Telluride, the Gulfstream G700, and the Hyundai IONIQ 5. It even beat out Lottery Scratch Off games!
- Finally, IPBGG was ably represented by Anita Giabardo and Andrew Marchetti in the 2nd annual CAES 3MT competition. First place Ph.D. division went to Anita Giabardo (Buell Lab).
We are proud to celebrate these accomplishments and the continued excellence of our students, faculty, and researchers. Their achievements reflect the strength and impact of the IPBGG community.