Articles
Identifying the genetic mechanisms for manipulation of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) runner production
Article number
1465_13
Pages
89 – 94
Language
English
Abstract
In strawberry, runnering is considered inversely proportional to fruit yield due to competition in axillary meristem fate.
Additionally, removal of strawberry runners requires significant manual labor, and is second only to manual fruit harvest.
As a result, runner removal represents more than $ 130 million USD in production costs annually.
However, while low-runnering cultivars are ideal for fruit production, runners are essential for propagation of elite cultivars.
Low-runnering genotypes are notoriously difficult to propagate at a commercial scale, limiting their widespread adoption.
To facilitate commercial scale propagation of these cultivars, it is necessary to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying runner production in cultivated strawberry in addition to methods for runner induction.
To this end, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify natural genetic variants underlying runner production within the University of Florida Strawberry Breeding Program.
The GWAS included 377 unique genotypes in five replicates during the 2023-24 field season at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). Runner production image data were collected from the field and will be analyzed using the You Only Look Once version 8 (yolov8) computer vision model.
Additionally, recent high-quality reference genomes of octoploid strawberry have been used for the identification of structural variants associated with runner production.
Results from the study highlight the key genetic factors associated with the regulation of runner development in strawberry.
Additionally, removal of strawberry runners requires significant manual labor, and is second only to manual fruit harvest.
As a result, runner removal represents more than $ 130 million USD in production costs annually.
However, while low-runnering cultivars are ideal for fruit production, runners are essential for propagation of elite cultivars.
Low-runnering genotypes are notoriously difficult to propagate at a commercial scale, limiting their widespread adoption.
To facilitate commercial scale propagation of these cultivars, it is necessary to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying runner production in cultivated strawberry in addition to methods for runner induction.
To this end, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify natural genetic variants underlying runner production within the University of Florida Strawberry Breeding Program.
The GWAS included 377 unique genotypes in five replicates during the 2023-24 field season at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). Runner production image data were collected from the field and will be analyzed using the You Only Look Once version 8 (yolov8) computer vision model.
Additionally, recent high-quality reference genomes of octoploid strawberry have been used for the identification of structural variants associated with runner production.
Results from the study highlight the key genetic factors associated with the regulation of runner development in strawberry.
Publication
Authors
K. Vondracek, X. Zhou, X.K. Wang, V. Whitaker, T. Liu, S. Lee
Keywords
Fragaria × ananassa, runner production, GWAS, computer vision, genetic mechanism
Groups involved
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Working Group Strawberry Culture and Management
- Division Sustaining Horticulture in a Changing World
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
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