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ARS Home » Midwest Area » East Lansing, Michigan » Sugarbeet and Bean Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116691
Title: GERMPLASM SCREENING

Author
item McGrath, Jon

Submitted to: International Institute For Beet Research Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The USDA-ARS program in East Lansing, Michigan has three major goals: release enhanced sugarbeet germplasm for the U.S. and world; effect genetic characterization of agronomic traits, including quality and disease resistance, using molecular tools; and "dissect" problems involving seedling emergence and stand establishment. These goals are complementary and strategies for meeting them have been developed. The strategies are beginning to show how they may be utilized for effective future sugarbeet breeding. For example, gene expression analyses during germination have shown that the induction of stress-responsive genes are important for seedling vigor. The number of genes examined to date is small, but there are technologies that can be used to rapidly survey a large number of genes. Efforts to secure funding for such large scale genomics approaches have not met with success to date, but will be vital for the future improvement of sugar beet.