Location: National Clonal Germplasm Repository
2023 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Conduct research to develop genetic resource maintenance, evaluation, or characterization methods and, in alignment with the overall National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) Plan, apply them to priority temperate-adapted fruit, nut, and other specialty crop genetic resources to avoid backlogs in plant genetic resources and information management.
Sub-objective 1.A: Building on the data and information included in the NPGS Plan to develop and implement a detailed plan for conducting research to develop methods for effectively addressing backlogs in accession regeneration, backup, germination/viability testing of seeds, pathogen-testing and “clean-up”, record digitizing, trait evaluation and characterization, and upload all data to GRIN-Global.
Sub-objective 1.B: Develop improved methods for conserving temperate crop germplasm in field plantings and container production in protected environments.
Sub-objective 1.C: Expand the DNA genetic marker databases of Fragaria, Pyrus, Corylus, Vaccinium, Rubus, and Humulus, with existing DNA fingerprinting sets and develop or optimize fingerprinting sets for genotyping other genera, and enter information to GRIN-Global.
Sub-objective 1.D: Implement targeted and/or high-throughput genotyping systems for genome-wide association and linkage and trait mapping in Vaccinium and Fragaria, core collection establishment in Rubus and Pyrus, development of Fire blight resistance markers in Pyrus, and enter information to GRIN-Global.
Sub-objective 2.E: Provide support for data collection, management, and analysis from phenotyping evaluations that add value to NCGR small fruit genetic resources, and that enhance the development and commercialization of new blueberry, caneberry, and strawberry cultivars.
Objective 2: Acquire, distribute, and maintain the safety, genetic integrity, health, and viability of priority temperate-adapted fruit, nut, and other specialty crop genetic resources and associated descriptive information.
Sub-objective 2.A: Acquire international and domestic germplasm samples of Corylus, Fragaria, Humulus, Pyrus, Mentha, Ribes, Rubus, Vaccinium, and their crop wild relatives via plant exploration and exchange.
Sub-objective 2.B: Establish and maintain crop genetic resources emphasizing temperate fruit, nut, and specialty crop germplasm (both cultivated and crop wild relatives). Apply established genetic marker tools to identify duplication and eliminate unnecessary redundancy to maximize efficient germplasm management.
Sub-objective 2.C: Collaborate with other genebank sites to implement backup conservation methods for our eight primary genera, including growing plants in field plantings and long-term cryopreservation.
Sub-objective 2.D: Apply bioassay, ELISA, and PCR tests for detecting known virus, viroid, and phytoplasma pathogens in primary plant collections. Eliminate pathogens from selected accessions with improved methods for heat therapy and meristem culture.
Sub-objective 2.E: Distribute germplasm during the appropriate season for each crop to national and international researchers at public, private, and educational bodies.
Approach
Objective 1:
1.A: Develop research plans for preventing backlog and for fast tracking conservation activities described in the NPGS plan using a collaborative and multi-step approach. Preventing losses to accessions and records is the number one NCGR priority.
1.B: Establish improved conservation methods upon and after transition to new screenhouse design, which include a fully automated control of environmental conditions to maximize winter chilling/dormancy and mitigate excessive summer heat while providing effective exclusion of aphids and other virus vectors.
1.C: Expand existing molecular databases for hazelnut, blackberry, blueberry, pear, and hop and develop new databases/tests for raspberry, currant, gooseberry and mint.
1.D: Apply/develop high throughput genotyping techniques to: conduct genome wide association studies (GWAS) for fruit quality in blueberry and strawberry; establish core collections in red raspberry, pear, wild strawberry, and cranberry; and to develop a DNA test for fireblight in pear.
Objective 2:
2.A: Acquire samples of Corylus, Fragaria, Humulus, Pyrus, Mentha, Ribes, Rubus, Vaccinium, and their related pome fruits from North America, North Africa, Central Asia, Asia, and Northern Europe to fill current gaps in NPGS collections as described in the Crop Vulnerability Statements.
2.B: Efficiently maintain genetic integrity and diversity of germplasm prioritizing five genera: Corylus, Fragaria, Pyrus, Rubus, and Vaccinium.
2.C: Establish security backup for the accessions in our collections using whole-plant local clonal backup, whole-plant remote clonal backup, tissue culture and/or cryopreservation where possible, and as seed.
2.D: Develop and implement a pathogen testing scheme for field and for screenhouse/greenhouse-grown germplasm.
2.E: Distribute genetic resources through the GRIN-Global online order processing under the NPGS conditions of distribution.
Progress Report
This report documents progress for project 2072-21000-059-000D, Conservation and Utilization of Temperate-Adapted Fruit, Nut, and Other Specialty Crop Genetic Resources, which started February 2023 and continues research from project 2072-21000-049-000D, Management of Temperate-Adapted Fruit, Nut, and Specialty Crop Genetic Resources and Associated Information.
The USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon, is a genebank that conserves temperate fruits, nuts, and specialty crops for research. The genebank continues to conserve more than 12,700 unique plant specimens of eight genera of horticultural and agronomic crops along with their wild relatives. This genebank is assigned to conserve hazelnuts, strawberries, hops, mint, pears, currants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries. The primary collections are a library of living plants, maintained as orchards in the field, containerized plants in the screenhouse, or seeds representing species populations. Seeds are preserved in freezers on-site and off-site in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Spitsbergen, Norway. Valuable or vulnerable accessions are backed up as dormant buds or shoot apices under cryogenic conditions at a collaborating site in Fort Collins, Colorado. A subset of the hazelnut collection is planted in collaboration at an ARS site in Parlier, California. In addition, duplicate collections of kiwifruit and butternuts are planted in Corvallis, Oregon, for the ARS Davis, California, genebank and of rhubarb for the ARS genebank Pullman, Washington.
In support of Objective 1, NCGR staff constructed six temporary structures and moved the container collections of strawberry, caneberry, and blueberry from the five screenhouses that were recently demolished in preparation for replacement by new automated screenhouses. The mint and hop collections were moved to an existing greenhouse that is not being used by ARS researchers from the Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit (HCPGIRU). Drip irrigation and shading were established for over 5,000 plants that are being housed in these temporary structures. A new DNA test was developed for red raspberry and was used to fingerprint 272 plants from the NCGR collection. This test identified 66 cultivars that need further investigation for identity confirmation. A new breeder-friendly DNA test was also developed for identifying male/female hop plants. In blueberry a genotyping platform that can assay over 22,000 chromosomal regions was developed and is being used by ARS researchers as well as other blueberry researchers in the United States, France, New Zealand and Italy. ARS scientists described plant specimen of mountain ash available through the National Plant Germplasm system and contributed four success stories to the U-GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) online educational platform about plant specimen at the Corvallis, Oregon, genebank that have met critical agricultural needs. These plants include: ‘Monocacy’ hop, a unique plant from ‘Maryland that initiated the brewing of three local beers; ‘Florida 4B’, a plant from Florida that is the founder of southern highbush blueberries; ‘Perpetua’ and ‘Echo’ blueberries, reflowering ornamental plants for northern climates which provide a new market class for this fruit crop; and ‘Gasaway’ hazelnut, the source of resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight disease and a cultivar that saved the Oregon hazelnut industry.
In support of Objective 2, ARS researchers in Corvallis, Oregon, collaborated with ARS scientists at Fort Collins, Colorado, to back-up important pear, currant, and gooseberry trees/plants through cryopreservation of dormant buds. More than 1,000 plant specimens were distributed to stakeholders from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States for research purposes.
Accomplishments
1. New genebank educational resources for blueberry, hop, and hazelnut plants to meet critical agricultural needs. The National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon, preserves plants that contribute needed traits to the industries they serve. Plant genebank personnel, educators, breeders, and conservationists need accessible training resources to better use genebank resources. ARS researchers in Corvallis, Oregon, developed new educational resources for an ebook educational platform that is publicly available and publishes topics related to plant genetic resources management and use. Information included success stories about the genebank use to meet critical agricultural needs, including ‘Monocacy’ hop, a unique plant from Maryland that initiated the brewing of three local beers; ‘Florida 4B’, a plant from Florida that is the founder of southern highbush blueberries; ‘Perpetua’ and ‘Echo’ blueberries, reflowering ornamental plants for northern climates which provide a new market class for this fruit crop; and ‘Gasaway’ hazelnut, the source of resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight disease and a cultivar that saved the Oregon hazelnut industry.
2. Unravelling the complexity of mountain ash (Sorbus), a plant with unfulfilled crop potential. Mountain ash (Sorbus) and its close relatives are valuable trees for ornamental landscape uses and provide fruits that can be utilized for food, medicinal, and beverage purposes. Potential improvement of Sorbus to expand its use is hampered by its genetic complexity and lack of quantitative evaluation of genetic resources conserved in plant repositories. ARS researchers in Corvallis, Oregon, led efforts to describe Sorbus species conserved at National Clonal Repository Germplasm in Corvallis, Oregon, and the Woody Landscape Germplasm Repository at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. This information provides a historical context to the complex nature of the Sorbus and its relatives and a framework for future directions of Sorbus conservation and use that will be useful for genetic conservation and future breeding efforts.
Review Publications
King, R., Bassil, N.V., Rounsaville, T.J., Reinhold, L.A. 2023. Sorbus sensu lato: A complex genus with unfulfilled crop potential. Journal of the American Pomological Society. 77(2):110-127.
Bassil, N.V., Lewers, K.S. 2023. Hop ‘Monocacy’ – Northeastern adaptation. In: Volk, G.M., Chen, K., Byrne, P., editors. Plant Genetic Resources: Success stories. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. Available: https://colostate.pressbooks.pub/pgrsuccessstories/chapter/hop-monocacy-northeastern-adaptation/.
Bassil, N.V., Oliphant, J.M., Munoz, P. 2023. Blueberry Florida 4B – Southern production. In: Volk, G.M., Chen, K., Byrne, P., editors. Plant Genetic Resources: Success stories. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. Available: https://colostate.pressbooks.pub/pgrsuccessstories/chapter/blueberry-florida-4b-southern-production/.
King, R., Bassil, N.V. 2023. Blueberry 'Perpetua' and 'Echo' - Repeat flowering. In: Volk, G.M., Chen, K., Byrne, P., editors. Plant Genetic Resources: Success stories. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. Available: https://colostate.pressbooks.pub/pgrsuccessstories/chapter/blueberry-perpetua-and-echo-repeat-flowering/.
Bassil, N.V., Mehlenbacher, S. 2023. Hazelnut ‘Gasaway’ – EFB resistance. In: Volk, G.M., Chen, K., Byrne, P., editors. Plant Genetic Resources: Success stories. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. Available: https://colostate.pressbooks.pub/pgrsuccessstories/chapter/hazelnut-gasaway-efb-resistance/.
