11 opportunities of germplasm for breeding peil andreas

Existing opportunities for germplasm in breeding

Andreas Peil

Frutibreedomics, Stakeholder Day, Zürich 11th February 2014

The history of preservation of fruit genetic resources

Collections of fruit genetic resources belonging to different species exist as long as fruit growing

The collection activities and the description of historical cultivars boomed at the 18th and 19th century

Adrian Diel (1756-1839) was one of the pioneers, who prepared extensive descriptions of historical cultivars

Systematic preservation in public collections starts at the beginning of the 20th century

In parallel there were many activities done by NGOs

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Fruit genetic resources management

Germplasm assembly through donation and exchange from exsiting collections and through expeditions in the centres of origin

Conservation of germplasm in ex-situ field collections and developing safety back-up collections by cryopreservation

Characterization of morpho-agronomic traits and screening of germplasm against abiotic and biotic stresses

Utilization of germplasm in breeding (including related species)Facing challenges of the future (climate changes, new

diseases, new isolates, changing demands, novelties, enlarging genetic diversity)

Germplasm is a source of genetic diversity and a pre-requisite to ensure resilience

of peach to biotic and abiotic threats in changing environments Locally adapted varieties (landraces) are an important source

of favorable traits of robustness and adaption to local condition which can be exploited in breeding actions

Wild relative are also an important source of resistance in peach, a species often lacking of resistance traits

Germplasm can be also a source of innovative agronomical and pomological traits

Why germplasm is important for our work

Alessandro Liverani, CRA

Robustness and resilience in a climatic change context

• Low temperatures during bloom

Heterogeneous

development of fruit

Blind nodesDouble fruits

What opportunities germplasm can offer to peach

Alessandro Liverani, CRA

Higher levels of antioxidant compounds Varietal

Diversification

Extend life span of the fruit: the Stony hard trait

What opportunities germplasm can offer to peach

Interesting traits as:

The great taste of the old germplasm

Bella di Cesena

Alessandro Liverani, CRA

What opportunities germplasm can offer to peach

Start F1 F2 F3

Ex:Resistance to Powdery mildew in nectarines

Tolerance to diseases

Almond

Davidiana

Ex:Resistance to Plum Pox Virus in peach

Alessandro Liverani, CRA

Comparability of descriptions:Apple descriptors

Markus Kellerhals, Agroscope

Morphological description and variety identification

Morphological description Phenology Tree characters Fruit characters

Variety identification Classical (pomological knowledge) Molecular analysis (set of SSR

markers)

Markus Kellerhals, Agroscope

Test of susceptibility to V. inaequalis, P. leucotricha and E. amylovora

Scab and powdery mildew 600 apple accessions 2 trees each 1 st leaf 2008 References: Jonathan, Boskoop, Bohnapfel,

Berlepsch, Discovery, Berner Rosen, Sauergrauech, Goldparmäne

Controls: Gravensteiner (P. leucotricha), Golden Del. (V. inaequalis)

No fungicides from 2nd leaf onwardFire blight

114 apple and 20 pear accessionsAround 10 trees per accession

Markus Kellerhals, Agroscope

2.569 cultivars / accessions in field collection

Fruit Gene Bank Dresden-Pillnitz

Number of cultivars

Apple 832

Pear 123

Sweet cherry 179

Tart cherry 102Plum 42

Strawberry 286

Sea buckthorn 27

 Total 1591

Wild speciesNumber of accessions

Malus sp. 507

Pyrus sp 63

Prunus sp 81

Sorbus sp 30

Other fruit species 33

Fragaria sp 264

Total 978

Evaluation of resistance to diseases

Fire blight Powdery mildewApple scab

Fire blight resistance in apple

Looking for new sources of resistance

Malus × robusta 5 QTL on LG3 after shoot infection QTL on LG3 after flower infection

Malus fusca QTL for resistance on LG10

Malus baccata QTL for resistance on LG12

Isolation of the fire blight resistance gene from M. x robusta 5

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QTL-Mapping

Population Idared and Malus × robusta 5

Chromosome Walking

a resistance gene candidate was found and isolated

Evaluation of the functionality of the candidate gene

Transformation into the apple cultivar Gala and Pinova

CH03E030.0Fem181.5

PAGM48_777.9

CH03G0712.8

PAGM38_37416.2P12M49_16018.1HI03D0618.6E33M32_30421.0GD12_L123.3E40M33_37624.9PAGM42_16627.6PAGM32_21728.6PAGM38_35630.2

AU22365736.2

P12M40_27140.4

MS14H0346.6PAGM32_22847.8P14M49_28149.5

CH03G12B58.8

Chromosom 3

Resistance to fire blight from Mr5

Resistance gene of Mr5 has been isolated and function proved in transgenic Gala

Transgenic Gala linesBroggini et al. (2014) Engineering fire blight resistance into the apple cultivar 'Gala' using the FB_MR5 CC-NBS-LRR resistance gene of Malus × robusta 5. Plant Biotechnology Journal accepted

Characterization for future use

Fruit quality Screening fruit quality with ‚Pimprenelle‘ robotic machine

Juice Production of true to type juices Sensory scoring by experts Analyses of the samples in the laboratory

Brandy Production of true to type brandies Sensory scoring and description by experts

Markus Kellerhals, Agroscope

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Old apple cultivars from the 15. and 18. century

Use of ‚old‘ varieties in ACW apple breeding (crosses 2006 and 2007)

Mother Father Seeds Nb in step 1

ACW 12556 Sternapi 468 10

Dülmener Rosenapfel ACW 12309 141 21

ACW 11309 Roter Herbstcalville 96 -

Rucliva Gelber Bellefleur 644 370

Milwa Krimskoe 1167 50

Milwa Korastojnka 979 40

Markus Kellerhals, Agroscope

Looking for new traits

Material from collections

examples:

Malus sieversii – Material from expeditions of US scientists to Central Asia

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• 130.000 seeds from 892 trees collected

• Evaluation was realized in 25 institutions around the the world, the Fruit Gene bank Dresden-Pillnitz was involved

• 1.054 seedlings were evaluated

• A core-collection of the species was established with 94 genotypes.

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Flachowsky H et al. (2011) Russisch Deutsche Kaukasusexpedition 2011. Obstbau 12, 652-656Hanke M-V et al. (2012) Collecting fruit genetic resources in the North Caucasus region. J. f. Kulturpflanzen 64: 126-136.Höfer M et al. (2012) Russisch-Deutsche Kaukasusexpedition 2011. Julius-Kühn-Archiv 436: 92-96.Flachowsky H et al. (2013) Russisch-deutsche Kaukasusexpedition 2012. Obstbau 1, 52-56.

Malus orientalis – Material from expeditions to Northern Caucasus, Russia in 2011 and 2012

Malus orientalis – Material from expeditions to Northern Caucasus, Russia in 2011 and 2012

• 17.716 seeds from 171 trees collected

• Pyrus caucasica

• Prunus cerasifera

Evaluation of disease resistance of the Malus orientalis material from Northern Caucasus expeditions

Aim: Utilization of resistant material in breeding• Inoculation of seedlings in greenhouse against scab• Inoculation of seedlings in greenhouse against mildew• Inoculation of seedlings in greenhouse against fireblight

Results• 2011: 21 seedling without any symptoms of powdery mildew and apple scab• 2012: 31 seedling without any symptoms of powdery mildew and apple scab

Malus orientalis – the Caucasian applec

Thanks for your attention

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M. kansuensis, M. toringoides, M. transitoria, M. sieboldii, M. prattii, M. hupehensis6 Malus species represented by 618 seedlings from 47 accessions, under evaluation

Malus species – Material from expeditions to China, province Sechuan

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge financial support for Swiss National Campaign Plants (NCP) by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture and the NGO Fructus