Agritope, Inc. today announced it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant for research on the development of red raspberry plants that are resistant to Raspberry Bushy Dwarf Virus (RBDV). The $65,000 grant was awarded under the United States Department of Agriculture's Small Business Innovation Research Program. The research project will be carried out over the next
six-months in collaboration with the USDA Horticulture Crops Research Lab in Corvallis, Oregon. Under the direction of Robert R. Martin, Ph.D., the Horticulture Crops Research Lab (HCRL) will provide RBDV genes to Agritope where transgenic plants will be generated. The modified plants will be transferred to HCRL for field trials and related evaluations.

Raspberry Bushy Dwarf Virus causes poor quality crumbly fruit and lower overall yield. Meeker, a popular variety of red raspberry which is susceptible to RBDV, is planted on over 75% of the 12,100 acres of red raspberry in Oregon and Washington. Healthy plantings of Meeker are expected to remain productive for up to 15 years, while plots infected with RBDV are being taken out of production after only 5 to 8 years, according to Peter R. Bristow, Ph.D., associate plant pathologist at Washington State University.

"The development of a variety of Meeker raspberry which is resistant to RBDV has the promise of providing significant economic benefit to growers, especially in the Pacific Northwest,'' said Ry Wagner, vice president of research for Agritope. "The combination of Agritope's expertise in developing genetically modified raspberry varieties with the experience of the Horticulture Crops Research Lab in plant virology provides an excellent technology base for this important project.''

Agritope, Inc. is an Oregon-based agricultural biotechnology company that develops improved
plant products and provides technology to the agricultural industry.

Company news release
N1800