The New Cranberry Wisconsin Research Station: Renovation priorities of a ‘Stevens’ cranberry marsh based on visual mapping, genetic testing, and yield data

Authors: MATUSINEC, DANIEL - University Of Wisconsin; MAULE, ANDREW - University Of Wisconsin; Wiesman, Eric; ATUCHA, AMAYA - University Of Wisconsin; Mura, Jyostna; Zalapa, Juan

Submitted to: International Journal of Fruit Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2022
Publication Date: 1/12/2022
Citation: Matusinec, D., Maule, A., Wiesman, E.C., Atucha, A., Mura, J.D., Zalapa, J.E. 2022. The New Cranberry Wisconsin Research Station: Renovation priorities of a ‘Stevens’ cranberry marsh based on visual mapping, genetic testing, and yield data. International Journal of Fruit Science. 22:1, 121-132. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538362.2021.2014016.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15538362.2021.2014016

Interpretive Summary: Cultivar contamination is a common issue in commercial cranberry production. Unwanted cranberry clones are found in commercial cranberry beds that are intended to be a single uniform clone. Identification of contamination and the impacts of contamination remain crucial issues to the cranberry industry to maintain long-term high productivity. To address this issue, tissue samples were taken from the former commercial beds of the new Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station (WCRS) in 2017 for genetic fingerprinting analysis. The goals of this collection were to analyze the ten beds for genetic uniformity to determine if any should be maintained or replaced, and to assess the accuracy of visual perception of genetic contamination in the field. A total of 288 DNA samples were collected in the ten cranberry beds, and the ‘Stevens’ cultivar represented 180 samples, or 69% of the 261 samples expected to be ‘Stevens’. Therefore, genotype contamination in the ‘Stevens’ beds was 31% overall. Visual differentiation was accurate in distinguishing between genotypes and detecting large areas of contamination. A yield analysis was conducted along with genotypic uniformity assessments and found no significant correlations between historical yield of the beds and their level of genetic contamination. Overall, this study demonstrates the usefulness of genetic uniformity testing and mapping for cranberry bed management and renovation decision-making.

Technical Abstract: Cultivar contamination is a common issue in commercial cranberry production. Unknown or unwanted cranberry genotypes are found in commercial cranberry beds that are intended to be a single uniform genotype. Identification of contamination and the impacts of contamination remain crucial issues to the cranberry industry to maintain long-term high productivity. To address this issue, tissue samples were taken from the former commercial beds of the new Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station (WCRS) in 2017 for genetic fingerprinting analysis. The goals of this collection were to analyze the ten beds for genetic uniformity to determine if any should be maintained or replaced, and to assess the accuracy of visual perception of genetic contamination in the field. A total of 288 DNA samples were collected in the ten cranberry beds, and the ‘Stevens’ cultivar represented 180 samples, or 69% of the 261 samples expected to be ‘Stevens’. Therefore, genotype contamination in the ‘Stevens’ beds was 31% overall. Visual differentiation was accurate in distinguishing between genotypes and detecting large areas of contamination. A yield analysis was conducted along with genotypic uniformity assessments and found no significant correlations between historical yield of the beds and their level of genetic contamination. Overall, this study demonstrates the usefulness of genetic uniformity testing and mapping for cranberry bed management and renovation decision-making.