Introduction

Rosaceous crops collectively accounted for $8 billion in sales in 2006, representing about 15% of the value of all specialty crops and 8.5% of total crops (NASS, 2007). They include apples, pears, peaches, cherries, nectarines, plums, apricots, almonds, strawberries, raspberries roses and more. In addition to their monetary value, consumed Rosaceous fruits/nuts are a key component of human diets and provide numerous health benefits including, cancer and obesity fighting compounds further elevating the economic and social value of Rosaceous crops. Rosaceae-based industries are also an integral part of many rural communities and play not just an economic role, but a cultural one as well. The shifting global landscape of specialty crop production prompts concerns that increasing global competition will push production overseas and deal a painful blow to U.S. agriculture and rural economies. To maintain a competitive edge, U.S. lawmakers have proposed specific measures to boost specialty crop research and advance U.S. competitiveness through technological advances. Specific objectives put forth in the pending 2007 Farm Bill are summarized at http://www.competitiveagriculture.org/.

Rosaceous crops are diverse in form and uses, comprising trees and herbaceous plants harvested for their fruits, berries, nuts, and cut flowers, and valued for ornamental beauty. Despite this diversity, they share a common genetic ancestry, and it is this feature that unites the Rosaceae research and stakeholder communities. The Rosaceae community has come together through a series of strategic planning workshops and discussions to consider how genomics technology can be used to improve Rosaceous crops to meet industry needs and maintain competitiveness in this critically important sector of U.S. agriculture. Researchers, breeders, and industry representatives have reached consensus that new translational genomics technologies are key to the long-term viability of U.S. Rosaceae industries. Specifics are outlined in the Rosaceae White Paper (http://www.rosaceaewhitepaper.com/). A key feature for many rosaceous crops is a very slow breeding cycle that is costly in terms of land requirements and plant maintenance. Dramatic improvements in efficiency through the implementation of translational breeding strategies are possible. Likewise, these strategies offer realistic ways of incorporating novel traits that will increase consumption, decrease production costs, reduce environmental impact, and expand product uses. Members of the community recently met to consider the opportunities and obstacles to implementing translational breeding tools for rosaceous crops, and concluded that a Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) would be capable of addressing these needs. More than 40 scientists, breeders, educators, extension specialists, industry representatives, and international partners attended. A meeting summary is available at (http://www.csrees.usda.gov/business/reporting/stakeholder/pdfs/rosaceae_workshop.pdf