- Kentucky State University. Pawpaw research. Kentucky State University has the only full-time Pawpaw research program in the world as part of the KSU Land Grant Program. Pawpaw research efforts are directed at improving propagation methods, developing orchard management recommendations, conducting regional variety trials, understanding fruit ripening and storage techniques, and germplasm collection and characterization of genetic diversity.
- Ohio State University: Pawpaw Research and Education: OSU research explores and identifies new Pawpaw cultivar and variety releases and production practices for their suitability, marketability, growth and production characteristics, grafting, pollination management, insect and disease monitoring and control and irrigation requirements under typical south central Ohio growing season to introduce this cropping system in Ohio. This research and education also includes management of native stands of Pawpaw for profit.
- Ohio University: College of Health Sciences and Professions, Division of Food and Nutrition Sciences. Research is focused on food science and quality enhancement. Varieties have been screened for sensory quality, nutrient and phytochemical composition, cell wall components that contribute to softening, and the enzyme responsible for its quick browning. Value-added strategies like packaging, ingredient addition, and high-pressure processing have been examined to extend pawpaw’s short shelf life. Ohio University also is a major sponsor of the world’s largest pawpaw festival, the yearly Ohio Pawpaw Festival held every September in Albany, Ohio USA.
- Cornell University
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Virginia Tech research has focused on the genetics and cultivation of pawpaws, with previous work including a collaboration on a project studying the genetic diversity of wild pawpaw populations. This research aims to improve pawpaw cultivation by identifying superior traits for breeding programs. While specific current projects are not detailed here, Virginia Tech Extension has provided resources on cultivation, such as information on planting pawpaws for edible landscaping.
North American Pawpaw Growers Association -Ohio Chapter- 