Location: Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit
Project Number: 6046-21000-012-004-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Mar 15, 2017
End Date: Mar 14, 2021
Objective:
To pursue an integrated approach to develop improved peanut varieties with tolerance to water deficit, incorporating additional traits needed for a successful variety. A three-state team will focus on evaluation of Runner, Virginia, and Valencia breeding lines. This will be accomplished through the following:
1. Evaluate existing populations from Texas A&M AgriLife Research, New Mexico State, and the USDA-ARS in GA, of market types comprising the majority of U.S. peanut production, and developed for tolerance to water deficit stress. Materials will be evaluated for yield and grade under water deficit and full irrigation, along with disease resistance, and oil chemistry.
2. Incorporate molecular markers for selection in certain populations for needed traits, or to assist in continued breeding efforts.
3. Develop and employ new sensor technology methods for irrigation scheduling and management for more uniform screening. We will work with a commercial partner in developing a continuous monitoring system that can be used in place of more-tedious methods, for rapid determination of the water status of field plots, and eventual use by growers to assist with timing of irrigation applications.
Approach:
Screening of Virginia and Runner populations (GA - Tallury)
A. Increase inbred lines. The current population consists of 50 nearly-homozygous lines at the F8 or F9 generation. Because of flooding in 2015, seed were not harvested, and an increase will be needed before sufficient seed are available for replicated testing. Seed will be increased in 2017, with sufficient availability expected in 2018.
B. Genomic testing. In the meantime, DNA from existing seed will be extracted and sent for DNA analysis to identify DNA segments introgressed from the wild species.
C. Field testing. Replicated trials will be performed under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions in 2018 and 2019. Plots will also be evaluated for tomato spotted wilt virus and leaf spots.
D. Reselection. If needed, selections will be made within lines based on phenotype or marker genotype. These may be made to select for purity of the high oleic trait, or to preserve or eliminate chromosome segments introgressed from wild species.
