Better fruit through genomics
Over the last decade, researchers have produced a wealth of genomic information about fruit trees as well as an array of valuable breeding tools. However, there is a need to collate and order this information so that commercial breeders can use it to their advantage. The EU-funded FRUIT BREEDOMICS (Integrated approach for increasing breeding efficiency in fruit tree crops) initiative was established to improve the efficiency of apple and peach tree breeding. Project partners developed molecular and bioinformatics tools to exploit the diversity found in European fruit tree collections and breeding populations. Researchers created new apple cultivars resistant to apple scab, powdery mildew and fire blight, and peach cultivars resistant to green aphids and brown rot. Using genomics tools, they achieved this in less than seven years, which is much faster than conventional breeding programmes. The project also created a standard workflow to use genomics in apple and peach breeding. Another aspect of FRUIT BREEDOMICS involved development of a commercial high-throughput assay to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with economically valuable traits in apples. These traits include disease resistance, fruit quality and resistance to biotic stresses. A relational database for the collection of phenotypes was developed and a user-database interface created for the management and exploration of the database content. Researchers also reviewed and collected a wide array of tools to link genetics to physical traits, and tested these tools on various cultivars. Together, these resources form a new platform called FruitBreedomics Marker Assisted Breeding Services, which will help get these technologies to breeding companies. FRUIT BREEDOMICS created new tools for improved fruit breeding and demonstrated the value of these tools by using them to develop new and improved cultivars. This work will have a far-reaching impact on modern fruit breeding practice.
Keywords
Genomics, apple, peach, disease-resistant, cultivars, fruit trees, FRUIT BREEDOMICS
