There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research studies

Authors: EDGER, PATRICK - Michigan State University; IORIZZO, MASSIMO - North Carolina State University; Bassil, Nahla; BENEVENUTO, JULIANA - University Of Florida; FERRAO, LUIS - University Of Florida; GIONGO, LARA - Fondazione Edmund Mach; Hummer, Kim; LAWAS, LOVELY MAE - Auburn University; LEISNER, COURTNEY - Auburn University; LI, CHANGYING - University Of Georgia; MUNOZ, PATRICIO - University Of Florida; ASHRAFI, HAMID - North Carolina State University; ATUCHA, AMAYA - University Of Wisconsin; Babiker, Ebrahiem; CANALES, ELIZABETH - Mississippi State University; CHAGNE, DAVID - New Zealand Institute Of Plant & Food Research; DEVETTER, LISA - Washington State University; Ehlenfeldt, Mark; ESPLEY, RICHARD - New Zealand Institute Of Plant & Food Research; GALLARDO, KARINA - Washington State University; GUNTHER, CATRIN - New Zealand Institute Of Plant & Food Research; Hardigan, Michael; Hulse-Kemp, Amanda; JACOBS, MACKENZIE - Michigan State University; LILA, MARY ANN - North Carolina State University; Luby, Claire; MAIN, DOREEN - Washington State University; MENGIST, MOLLA - North Carolina State University; OWENS, GREGORY - University Of Victoria; PERKINS-VEAZIE, PENELOPE - North Carolina State University; Polashock, James; POTTORFF, MARTI - North Carolina State University; Rowland, Lisa; SIMS, CHARLIE - University Of Florida; SONG, GUO-QING - Michigan State University; SPENCER, JESSICA - North Carolina State University; VORSA, NICHOLI - Rutgers University; YOCCA, ALAN - North Carolina State University; Zalapa, Juan

Submitted to: Horticulture Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2022
Publication Date: 4/11/2022
Citation: Edger, P.P., Iorizzo, M., Bassil, N.V., Benevenuto, J., Ferrao, L.F., Giongo, L., Hummer, K.E., Lawas, L.F., Leisner, C.P., Li, C., Munoz, P., Ashrafi, H., Atucha, A., Babiker, E.M., Canales, E., Chagne, D., DeVetter, L., Ehlenfeldt, M.K., Espley, R.V., Gallardo, K., Gunther, C.S., Hardigan, M.A., Hulse-Kemp, A.M., Jacobs, M.L., Lila, M., Luby, C.H., Main, D., Mengist, M.F., Owens, G.L., Perkins-Veazie, P., Polashock, J.J., Pottorff, M., Rowland, L.J., Sims, C.A., Song, G., Spencer, J., Vorsa, N., Yocca, A.E., Zalapa, J.E. 2022. There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research studies. Horticulture Research. 9. Article uhac083. https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhac083.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhac083

Interpretive Summary: Blueberries and their crop wild relatives include diverse culturally and economically important berry crop species. Blueberry and cranberry have gained particular interest and consumption worldwide over their relatively short domestication history (~100 years). Other species, including bilberry, lingonberry and ohelo berry, are largely still harvested from the wild but with crop improvement efforts underway. Here, we present a review article on these berry crops on topics that span taxonomy to genetics and genomics to phenomics and breeding. We highlight the accomplishments made thus far for each of these crops, along their journey from the wild, and propose research areas and questions that will require investments by the community over the coming decades to guide future crop improvement efforts. New tools and resources are needed to underpin the development of superior cultivars that are not only more resilient to various biotic and (abiotica) stresses and higher yielding, but also produce fruit that continue to meet a variety of consumer preferences.

Technical Abstract: The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) contains a wide diversity of culturally and economically important berry crop species. Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberry (V. macrocarpon) have gained particular interest and consumption worldwide over their relatively short domestication history (~100 years). Other species, including bilberry (V. myrtillus), lingonberry (V. vitis-idaea) and ohelo berry (V. reticulatum), are largely still harvested from the wild but with crop improvement efforts underway. Here, we present a review article on these Vaccinium berry crops on topics that span taxonomy to genetics and genomics to phenomics and breeding. We highlight the accomplishments made thus far for each of these crops, along their journey from the wild, and propose research areas and questions that will require investments by the community over the coming decades to guide future crop improvement efforts. New tools and resources are needed to underpin the development of superior cultivars that are not only more resilient to various biotic and (abiotica) biotic stresses and higher yielding, but also produce fruit that continue to meet a variety of consumer preferences.