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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #411577
Research Project: Functional Genomics, Genetic Improvement, and Sustainable Production of Nursery Crops

Location: Floral and Nursery Plants Research

Title: Powdery mildew of bigleaf hydrangea: biology, control, and breeding strategies for resistance

Author
item JENNINGS, CHRISTINA - Tennessee State University
item BAYSAL-GUREL, FULYA - Tennessee State University
item Alexander, Lisa

Submitted to: Horticulturae
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2024
Publication Date: 2/24/2024
Citation: Jennings, C., Baysal-Gurel, F., Alexander, L.W. 2024. Powdery mildew of bigleaf hydrangea: biology, control, and breeding strategies for resistance. Horticulturae. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030216.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030216

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Hydrangea macrophylla, commonly known as bigleaf, garden, French or florist hydrangea, is the most economically important member of the Hydrangea genus with a breeding history spanning hundreds of years. Bigleaf hydrangea breeding improvement has largely focused on aesthetic traits and there are few varieties tolerant or resistant to major diseases such as powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is an obligate biotriophic Ascomycete in the order Erysiphales represented by approximately 900 species worldwide. The disease-causing agent in hydrangeas is Golovinomyces orontii (formerly Erysiphe polygoni DC) which tarnishes the beauty, growth, and salability of bigleaf hydrangea plants, especially those packed closely in production environments. Chemical or biological control is commonly used in production as there are no cultivars of bigleaf hydrangea that are resistant to powdery mildew. A recently published haplotype-resolved genome of bigleaf hydrangea enables targeted analyses and breeding techniques for powdery mildew resistance. Analyzing transcriptomes of tolerant and susceptible hydrangeas through RNA-sequencing will lead to the identification of differentially expressed genes and/or pathways. Concurrent application of marker assisted selection, genetic transformation, and gene editing will contribute to the development of powdery mildew resistant varieties of bigleaf hydrangea.