GENOMIC REGIONS AND GENETIC CONSTELLATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH AGRONOMIC TRAITS, FRUIT QUALITY AND DISEASE RESISTANCE IN THE AMERICAN CRANBERRY

  • Vorsa, Nicholi (PI)

Project Details

Description

The American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait., is a native North American crop undergoing domestication during the past two centuries. Until recently, genetic improvement through breeding was limited to one breeding and selection cycle. Some of the most widely cultivated varieties are still native selections or first-generation breeding selections released over 60 years ago. Today, one of the main threats to the cranberry industry is the fruit-rotting fungal complex found in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and increasingly in Wisconsin. Furthermore, cranberry culture is undergoing ecological shifts, including the reduction of organo-phosphate insecticide usage which has led to resurgence of disease vectors as well as increasing abiotic stresses, e.g. heat stress. The current cranberry germplasm collection offers potential sources of insect and disease resistance. Genetically diverse field fruit rot resistance sources have been identified in the germplasm. The long term goal of this project is to produce superior American cranberry genotypes for the U.S. cranberry industry, increasing production efficiency under climate change, and reduce the need for pesticides. Specific objectives of this proposal are: 1) the development of a high-resolution genetic map of cranberry, 2) utilize a new powerful genetic approach, 'association mapping', to identify genetic factors associated with economically important traits in cranberry, 3) to estimate breeding efficiency under genome wide selection with an emphasis on fruit rot resistance in cranberry, and 4) the genetic identification and localization of the four fruit rot resistant germplasm sources in cranberry.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date9/1/138/31/18

Funding

  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture: $500,000.00

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