Horticulture Research (2022). DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac042″ width=”520″ height=”269″/>
Distribution of the flowering date in population #1 (from 2008 to 2017) and population #2 (in 2018, 2019 and 2021). A) Box plot of fully thriving distribution scored in Julian days (JDs) over ten years in population #1 (in gray) and three years in population #2 (2018 in green, 2019 in orange, and 2021 in purple). B) distribution of full bloom scored in JDs over three years in population #2 (2018 in green, 2019 in orange, and 2021 in purple). Data for parent cultivars “Regina” (R) and “Garnet” (G) in 2018, 2019 and 2021 are indicated by arrows in B. Credit: Camille Branchereau et al, Horticultural research (2022). DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac042
Recently, scientists from the French National Institute of Agriculture provided new insights into the control of flowering dates in Prunus species, paving the way for the development of molecular breeding strategies.
A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis on linkage group 4 (LG4) was very stable over several years in the studied plant material, which had a relatively high cooling requirement and late flowering time. This region, as well as a QTL on LG1 associated with low-cooling cultivars, is of great importance for sweet cherry breeding programs aimed at creating new cultivars well adapted to their growing areas.
These results represent the first step towards the development of markers within the LG4 QTL that can be used in marker-assisted selection for FD in sweet cherry. Researchers narrowed the 380 kb region obtained with their new large population QTL analyzes to a 68 kb region containing only twelve candidate genes. The most likely candidate genes, with interesting expression patterns, were related to splicing (SR45a) and auxin response (SAUR71).
Further analyzes based on transformation experiments in model species can be performed to validate these candidate genes and may provide new insights into the control of FD in Prunus species. The scientists’ study also provides useful methodological information by using the same cross in two different experimental designs to compare QTL analyses.
“This work should contribute to increasing the efficiency of breeding programs for sweet cherry and other Prunus species to create new cultivars well adapted to future climatic conditions,” the study authors said. Horticultural research.
Grapevine breeding programs supported by genomic prediction
Camille Branchereau et al, New insights into flowering date in Prunus: fine mapping of an important QTL in sweet cherry, Horticultural research (2022). DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac042
Provided by Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Quote: Scientists Offer New Insights into Bloom Dates in Prunus Species (2022, Aug. 10) Retrieved Aug. 10, 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-08-scientists-insights-dates-prunus-species.html
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