Location: Crop Germplasm Research
2022 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Efficiently and effectively acquire Carya genetic resources; maintain their safety, genetic integrity, health and viability; and distribute them and associated information worldwide.
Sub-objective 1A: Acquire high priority Carya genetic resources, characterize them using molecular profiling methods, integrate them into secure, temporary maintenance systems, and distribute associated information and appropriate propagules worldwide.
Sub-objective 1B: Revise diagnostic methods for detecting Xylella fastidiosa in Carya.
Sub-objective 1C: Screen ex situ and in situ Carya populations for Xylella fastidiosa.
Sub-objective 1D: Confirm efficacy of remediation methods to eliminate Xylella fastidiosa from nuts and/or scions of Carya.
Objective 2: Develop more effective genetic resource conservation, evaluation, and characterization methods and apply them to priority Carya genetic resources. Record and disseminate evaluation and characterization data via GRIN-Global and other data sources.
Objective 3: With other NPGS genebanks and Crop Germplasm Committees, develop, update, document, and implement best management practices for Carya genetic resource and information management.
Approach
This project represents one of the eight National Clonal Germplasm Repositories in the National Plant Germplasm System. It shares the common mission of all clonal repositories to collect, maintain, evaluate, document, and distribute valuable plant genetic resources. It is unique in its focus on the Carya genus, which includes the most valuable nut tree native to North America, the pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch]. This project is a sister project of the Pecan Breeding Program (3091-21000-039-00D) and furnishes diverse Carya germplasm for use as parents within that program, as well as to other domestic and international breeding programs. Other North American species of Carya do not provide economic incentive for commercial nut production, but are valuable components of their ecosystems and are represented for use in breeding, with increasing interest on endemic and microbiotic associations. All diploid Carya, including commercially valuable Asian species, hybridize with pecan. Some Carya species exist only as fragmented populations in threatened habitats. Strategies for the appropriate characterization and utilization of those species are addressed in this project. Molecular genetic tools have been developed by the precursor project. These tools will continue to be cooperatively developed, refined, and applied by the current project in order to understand genetic diversity and gene flow in native populations, to verify identity of individual cultivars, to confirm parentage in controlled crosses, and to facilitate management of the Collection and its knowledgeable deployment.
Progress Report
By direction of the Office of National Programs, this project was terminated in very early fiscal year 2022 and the fiscal, physical, and human resources were consolidated with and incorporated into the sister project 3091-21000-039-000D. The objectives, milestones, accomplishments, etc., of this now-terminated project were incorporated into -039 and are dealt with in the report for this project.
Accomplishments
