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Broccoli isn't just good for nutrition. It's also good for South Carolina farmers and for cleaner air. Clemson Extension is working with growers to add the new crop in a USDA research project.Clemson Extension vegetable specialist J. Powell Smith, USDA research geneticist Mark Farnham and N.C. State University Extension specialist Jeanine Davis are part of a team of industry and academic researchers working to develop a $100 million broccoli industry on the East Coast in the next 10 years. The goal is to establish networks of East Coast growers that together can supply broccoli year-round for eastern consumers. �As much as 90 percent of broccoli sold in the east is shipped from California and Mexico,� Smith said. Establishing an eastern industry could reduce fuel costs, cut carbon dioxide emissions from cross-country trucks and save water in the western United States. Eastern growers could tap into a major specialty crop worth nearly a billion dollars a year. The effort is backed by a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with an additional $1.7 million in matching contributions from companies that will help develop broccoli varieties to suit conditions in the eastern U.S., recruit farmers and organize networks for growers and distributors. The team, led by Cornell University, includes Clemson University, N.C. State, the USDA, five other universities and 11 companies, including W. P. Rawl & Sons and Clayton Rawl Farms in Lexington County. Despite high and growing consumption in the eastern United States, very little broccoli is produced in the region. One of the reasons is the climate. Warm summer temperatures on the East Coast can negatively affect the quality of broccoli heads. However, recent developments in broccoli breeding, including work done by Farnham at the USDA Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, have made plants more tolerant to eastern heat and humidity. Scientists will continue to work with seed companies and test sites to develop hybrids to suit regional conditions. Another challenge is a lack of coordinated infrastructure between various sectors of the industry. Smith and Davis, along with an economists and extension specialists in other states, will provide training in broccoli production and organize networks of growers, distributors and retailers. Thomas Bjorkman, Cornell associate professor of horticulture and the project's principal investigator, described the approach at this week�s 25th Annual Southeast Vegetable & Fruit Expo in Myrtle Beach, saying, �Our assembled team of breeders, production specialists and market developers have the breeding stocks and expertise to develop an eastern broccoli industry. We are simultaneously developing a grower base, distribution network and market.� �Trying to do one part at a time is sure to fail. It is only by having a comprehensive team such as ours that we can make all the parts of the industry work,� Bjorkman said. Smith added, �The success of this type of network could also serve as a model for other specialty crops.� (Images provided by Clemson)
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