S01 - Session O2 - Vaccinium CAP: a community-based project to develop advanced genetic and genomic tools to improve fruit quality in blueberry and cranberry

Authors: Massimo Iorizzo *, Mary Ann Lila, Penelope Perkins-Veazie, Marti Pottorff, Molla Mengist Fentie, Ann Colonna, Nicholi Vorsa, Patrick Edger, Nahla Bassil, Claire Luby, Ted Mackey, Patricio Munoz, Juan Zalapa, Karina Gallardo, Amaya Atucha, Dorrie Main, Lara Giongo, Changying Li, James Polashock, Charles Sims, Elizabeth Canales, Lisa De Vetter, David Chagne, Richard Espley, Michael Coe

The VacCAP project, funded in 2019 by the United States Department of Agriculture, is a transdisciplinary research effort to develop marker-assisted selection capacity in blueberry and cranberry breeding programs, enabling the selection and pyramiding of desirable fruit characteristics, and thereby enhancing fruit quality and market value. Project teams include US and international scientists and breeders. The project objectives are to: 1) Establish genomic resources to enable effective association mapping studies in blueberry and cranberry; 2) Identify DNA markers associated with fruit quality characteristics in blueberry and cranberry; 3) Deliver molecular, genetic and genomic resources to improve fruit quality traits in blueberry and cranberry; 4) Assess the potential socio-economic impact of blueberry and cranberry fruit quality improvements on market demand; and 5) Engage Vaccinium stakeholders to transfer advanced phenomic and genomic tools to build an efficient cultivar development system. Outcomes from the first two years of activities include: 1) Completed four new reference genomes for blueberry and cranberry and four new genetic linkage maps, which enabled us to trace the evolutionary divergence among Ericales crops, revealing a high level of synteny amongst Vaccinium species, and elucidating the mode of polyploid genetic behavior in blueberry (Obj. 1); 2) Established a high density high-throughput genotyping platform for blueberry (Obj. 1); 3) Established new methods for fruit texture analysis and identified multiple QTLs and candidate genes associated with fruit quality related traits (anthocyanins, pH, soluble solid content, organic acids, yield, fruit rot resistance, fruit weight) (Obj. 2); Selected genotypes that combine extended shelf life and balanced flavor/taste for advancement in breeding programs (Obj. 3); Established and expanded online platforms and social media presence, developed and delivered webinars and workshops, and published newsletters to engage stakeholders and to transfer project outcomes. An overview of the project objectives and successful outcomes will be presented.