Project Number: 1275-21000-180-11
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Feb 18, 2009
End Date: Jan 31, 2012

Objective:
The overall research goal is to identify QTL associated with chilling requirement, cold tolerance, and various fruit quality traits in the tetraploid highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) mapping population developed by Michigan State University.

Approach:
A tetraploid highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) mapping population, derived from a cross between the northern highbush cultivar `Draper¿ and the southern highbush cultivar `Jewel¿, will be used for identifying QTL associated with chilling requirement, cold tolerance, and various fruit quality traits. The population will be propagated, planted, and evaluated for these traits at various locations, including Florida, Georgia, Oregon, and Michigan, over two years. EST-SSR and EST-PCR markers will be developed from blueberry ESTs and added to the current map of this population. QTL associated with chilling requirement, cold tolerance, and various fruit quality traits will be identified using appropriate software designed for mapping quantitative traits in tetraploid populations.