Project Number: 3655-21000-057-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 04, 2009
End Date: Jun 03, 2014

Objective:
This project will combine physiological and genetic expertise and infrastructure to create a rational core collection and dataset for Solanum microdontum. This species, although wild, is remarkable for its broad expression for economically important tuber traits and ease of introgression into cultivars. The goal is to characterize for physiological tuber traits, and assess the patterns of phenotypes and genetics and the interaction of the two. This will allow for the more efficient management of this species in the genebank, and its deployment for cultivar breeding.

Approach:
Grow all populations in the genebank to produce replicate sets of tubers. Assess for the physiological traits. Assess genetic variation patterns by AFLP and/or other markers. Perform statistical analysis of link between physiological traits and genetics clusters. Thus, identify and validate core collection and identify specific markers for germplasm screening. Preserve outstanding germplasm, facilitate use by ploidy manipulation, and advertise to germplasm users.