Domestication, genetics, and genomics of the American cranberry

Authors: VORSA, NICHOLI - Rutgers University; Zalapa, Juan

Submitted to: Plant Breeding Reviews
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/9/2019
Publication Date: 12/1/2019
Citation: Vorsa, N., Zalapa, J.E. 2019. Domestication, genetics, and genomics of the American cranberry. Plant Breeding Reviews. 43:279-310. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119616801.ch8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119616801.ch8

Interpretive Summary: The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is an iconic fruit species native to eastern North America. The US is a leader in cranberry production. However, the species has been severely genetically understudied until very recently since it was domesticated less than 200 years ago and breeding did not start until 1929. The American cranberry is a long lived woody perennial adapted to a temperate climate and well drained moist acidic soils. Cranberry reproduces through seeds and cuttings, which are used for commercial propagation of cultivars. The flower contains both male and female parts, relying largely on pollination by pollinators for fruit set. The species contains two copies of each of 12 chromosomes and is self-fertile with a genome size of approximately 480 million bases. Traits of economic importance include productivity, propagation vigor, disease resistance, fruit anthocyanins (red pigment), sugar content, and increasingly fruit quality traits for sweetened-dried-cranberry products, e.g., fruit firmness and size. Molecular marker-trait associations have been identified for productivity, berry size, pigment content, fruit rot resistance and other traits. The fruit of American cranberry fruit is recognized for the potential benefits to human due to very high levels of pigment classes, which result in a very high anti-oxidant status. Recent restrictions on traditional pesticides to control insect and disease pests have altered the ecology with former challenges, e.g., false-blossom, having a re-emergence. Genetic improvement of cranberry is hampered by a long generation interval including three years from pollination to flower, and assessment of yield requiring 6-8 years after field planting, with typically limited field acreage. Due to the high cost and effort and long time required for breeding, and due to the recent surge of molecular data and marker-trait association studies, marker-assisted selection could be extremely helpful for cranberry for breeding.

Technical Abstract: The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is an iconic fruit species native to eastern North America. The US is a leader in cranberry production. However, the species has been severely genetically understudied until very recently since it was domesticated less than 200 years ago and breeding did not start until 1929. The American cranberry is a long lived woody perennial adapted to a temperate climate and well drained moist acidic soils. Cranberry reproduces both sexually and asexually through stolons, which are used for clonal asexual propagation of cultivars. The flower is hermaphroditic, relying largely on pollination by hermaphroditic pollinators for fruit set. The species is diploid (2n = 2 x= 24), self-fertile, with a genome size of approximately 480Mb. Traits of economic importance include productivity, propagation vigor, disease resistance, fruit anthocyanins, brix, and increasingly fruit quality traits for sweetened-dried-cranberry products, e.g., fruit firmness and size. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for productivity, berry size, TAcy, fruit rot resistance and other traits. The fruit of American cranberry fruit is recognized for the potential benefits to human due to very high levels of the flavonoid classes anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonols, which result in a very high anti-oxidant status. Recent restrictions on traditional pesticides to control insect and disease pests have altered the ecology with former challenges, e.g., false-blossom, having a re-emergence. Genetic improvement of cranberry is hampered by a long generation interval including three years from pollination to flower, and assessment of yield requiring 6-8 years after field planting, with typically limited field acreage.