Project Number: 1245-21000-185-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2010
End Date: Dec 13, 2013

Objective:
Identify horticulturally useful genes and markers associated with important traits, with emphasis on increasing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses that reduce the quality or the potential yield of blueberry, strawberry, and brambles, so that ultimately these genes and traits can be incorporated in small fruit cultivars using various biotechnological approaches. Important traits include tolerance to temperature extremes in blueberry and strawberry, disease resistance in strawberry, and repeat flowering in strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry.

Approach:
Studies will focus on: 1) developing reliable, stable blueberry transformation system using the Biolistic method of particle bombardment, 2) developing and utilizing genomic tools, such as standard and subtracted/reverse subtracted cDNA libraries for the production of ESTs and custom microarrays, in blueberry and strawberry, for the identification and characterization of genes associated with increased production of fruit under stressful temperature conditions, 3) identifying germplasm and developing molecular markers and genetic maps useful for conferring traits of horticultural value, such as cold tolerance in blueberry, disease resistance in strawberry, and repeat flowering in strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry, and 4) evaluating somaclonal variants of strawberry for expression and stability of useful traits such as anthracnose resistance.