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Seminar: Lauren Redpath: Genome-wide association mapping of fruit quality-related traits in a diversity panel of blueberries
September 9, 2021 | 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Lauren Redpath, PhD Final Seminar
Thursday, September 9, 2021, 9:00 am
(Under the direction of Dr. Hudson Ashrafi and Dr. Tom Ranney)
Meeting ID: 927 0678 0699
Passcode: 923216
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Hidden in distantly related and non-cultivated species of blueberry are commercially important characteristics such as increased fruit firmness, greater fruit anthocyanin content, and uniformity in flowering and fruiting. Recognizing these desirable horticultural characteristics, the blueberry breeding program at NCSU selected an inter- and intraspecific hybrid diversity panel (DP) of 218 individuals for a genome-wide association mapping project. My research leverages these diverse genotypes to develop advanced breeding tools to expedite the development and release of new commercial blueberry cultivars. After the initial selection of individuals in the DP, I used flow cytometry to determine their genome size and select tetraploid individuals for further analyses. In a comprehensive analysis, my research evaluated over fifteen phenotypic traits for metrics including color, firmness, soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, weight/volume, shape, anthocyanins, flowering, and ripening time for the goal of identifying SNP markers associated with the traits. Our analyses also report on the different effects of genotype, environment, year, and harvest date on the measured phenotypic characteristics. My research into these hybrids provides new information in blueberry genetics for desirable traits and provides a foundation for marker-assisted selection. We can develop trait-linked markers to screen blueberry plants at the seedling stage by identifying these genomic regions. Developing genomic tools for marker assisted selection of progeny, breeders can concentrate research efforts on selected individuals, saving money, as well as considerable time and resources required for successful varietal release.