US (DE): Delaware Valley University, Burpee partner on research program

A new partnership with W. Atlee Burpee Company will provide Delaware Valley University students with the opportunity to learn about plant breeding and genetics. The company is collaborating with DelVal on a series of field trials that will include four paid internships for the University’s horticulture students.

Credit: W. Atlee Burpee Company. Tomato trials at Fordhook Farm.

The trials will be planted on University land in Doylestown and will involve multiple varieties of vegetables and flowers. The research program will evaluate these plant varieties to determine if and when they will be released to the public. DelVal students will work alongside Dr. Sarah Dohle and Dr. Adrienne Kleintop, DelVal plant science faculty members, as paid interns funded through the partnership. Dr. Chunying Ling, a field researcher, will be coordinating the efforts from Burpee.

“Through this new agreement, horticulture students at Delaware Valley University will have a unique opportunity to learn how Burpee selects and tests varieties of plants that will be ultimately released to the public,” said Dr. Chris Tipping, Delaware Valley University interim dean of agriculture and environmental sciences. “These internships will provide our students with invaluable real-world experience in the field of plant breeding.”

Interns for the program will be selected by the end of March. Plantings are expected to begin in late April. There will be evaluations during the growing season, and the final harvest will be in early fall.

“We are thrilled to work with Delaware Valley University in order to help educate their students on real-world, real-time experience in the plant breeding and seed production industry,” said Burpee Chairman and CEO George Ball.

Source: Delaware Valley University