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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Geneva, New York » Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #280092

Title: VitisGenPM: a precision phenotyping center for powdery mildew resistance breeding in grapevine

Author
item Cadle-Davidson, Lance
item NOWOGRODZKI, ANNA - Cornell University
item SCHAUB, MICHELLE - Cornell University
item BARBA, PAOLA - Cornell University
item REISCH, BRUCE - Cornell University
item SEEM, ROBERT - Cornell University
item GADOURY, DAVID - Cornell University

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2012
Publication Date: 5/1/2012
Citation: Cadle Davidson, L.E., Nowogrodzki, A., Schaub, M., Barba, P., Reisch, B., Seem, R., Gadoury, D. 2012. VitisGenPM: a precision phenotyping center for powdery mildew resistance breeding in grapevine. American Phytopathological Society Abstracts. Phytopathology 102:S.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Analyzing resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) can be complicated by race specificity, environment, phenology, and other factors. Of necessity, breeding programs often rely upon natural infection in greenhouses, nurseries, and/or vineyards and use categorical ratings to assess resistance once or several times per year. While directly applicable to breeding and selection, natural infection results in multiple, uncontrolled sources of variation, which can hinder genetic characterization of resistance and development of predictive molecular markers. As part of a USDA-SCRI project on grapevine breeding (http://www.vitisgen.org), we established a phenotyping center (VitisGenPM) for detailed evaluation of resistance to powdery mildew. The center employs genetically diverse isolates from an array of wild hosts to provide quantitative phenotypic analysis of race-specificity and mechanisms of resistance. By phenotyping detached leaves received from breeding programs, the center provides highly controlled, replicated analysis of resistance segregation among progeny for association analysis with molecular markers on high-density genetic linkage maps. In addition to providing markers for pyramiding multiple resistance genes in individual breeding progeny, this approach enables breeders to compare the relative strength, race-specificity, and resistance mechanism of breeding lines and to make informed decisions in the selection of parents.