Location: Crop Genetics and Breeding Research
Project Number: 6048-21000-029-08-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jan 1, 2019
End Date: Jun 30, 2021
Objective:
1. Develop high-yielding, high-oleic peanut lines with high levels of resistance to the peanut root-knot nematode and/or late leaf spot.
2. Identify molecular marker for resistance to white mold and for drought tolerance.
3. Develop drought tolerant peanut germplasm with high yield.
Approach:
1. Crosses have been made and markers assisted selection (MAS) is being used to identify high oleic breeding lines with resistance to the peanut root-knot nematode. An accelerated backcrossing program is ongoing using MAS to introgress resistance to late leaf spot into out best cultivars and breeding lines. We have just completed the greenhouse crossing program to produce our third backcross hybrid seed. For the past two years we have also been mining promising individuals from the segregating populations from the original cross, and the first and second backcrosses. We are advancing this material as fast as possible using summer and winter nurseries. As late generation breeding lines are developed, they will be evaluated for yield and disease resistance in replicated field studies.
2. Phenotypic and genotypic data are being gathered from a population segregating for resistance to white mold, and for a population segregating for drought tolerance. Data will be analyzed to evaluate associations between genetic markers and these characterizations.
3. Crosses have been made and progeny will be selected for drought tolerance. Late generation breeding lines will be grown under late season heat and drought stress, and evaluated for yield and pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination.