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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Research Project #427380

Research Project: Pecan Breeding and Genetics

Location: Crop Germplasm Research

Project Number: 3091-21000-039-001-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 31, 2014
End Date: Jun 30, 2019

Objective:
Produce improved pecan scion cultivars and rootstocks by making controlled crosses, collecting tree performance data, and integrating this data into a large central database used to make selection decisions and determine heritability of important genetic characteristics.

Approach:
Parents are selected for manifestation of targeted traits, and controlled crosses are made to generate appropriate numbers of seed for progeny testing. Seed is characterized using non-destructive measures and germinated. Propagules are grown under pressure from biotic and abiotic stressors, with efforts made to link phenotypic response to genetic profiles. Selected seedlings, grown either on their own roots or grafted/budded to adult phase trees, are evaluated for performance, including seasonal phenology and nut quality. Elite material is cooperatively selected and distributed for testing across regionally diverse environments under standardized orchard management conditions. Data are used to determine heretability of important genetic characteristics and to progressively refine markers associated with traits, cataloging that progression via development of a community-accessible database. Qualified selections are cooperatively released for use as scions and rootstocks.