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Title: Potential use of apple crop wild relatives in breeding programs

Author
item Volk, Gayle

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2013
Publication Date: 1/12/2013
Citation: Volk, G.M. 2013. Potential use of apple crop wild relatives in breeding programs. Meeting Abstract. Plant and Animal Genome XXI, San Diego CA, Jan 12-16, 2013.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wild apple species are present throughout the Northern Hemisphere, with many of the species native to Asian countries. Useful traits such as disease and pest resistance, abiotic stress resistance, and dwarfing rootstocks are found in wild populations, but the small and undesirable fruits make these materials difficult to use in apple breeding programs. Diversity assessments of wild populations and allele mining strategies are identifying key individuals within these populations and targeting them for prebreeding programs. Access to wild or pre-bred materials that also have phenotypic data available is critical for their use. In addition, sequenced genomes, markers for key genes, and plants that reach reproductive maturity quickly will help current and future breeding programs progress.