Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The genus Vitis has two subgenera, Vitis (V) and Muscadinia (M). While Vitis (bunch grapes) are the backbone of the U.S. grape industry (worth $4.8 billion annually), production is associated with high costs and plant/fruit disease risks. Muscadinia grapes, which are grown commercially across the Southeast U.S., are resistant to many pathogens that affect Vitis grapes. Despite their complementary attributes, breeding high quality, disease resistant V × M hybrids have been complicated by their genetic distance and difference in chromosome number. New genomic tools and 'bridge hybrids' with restored fertility enable the discovery and introgression of disease resistance and fruit quality alleles to create V × M hybrids. Our proposal is the first national effort leveraging the synergistic potential of interdisciplinary research on disease resistance and fruit quality traits in Vitis and Muscadinia. Our 32-person team will: 1) Determine the cytogenomic basis of V × M wide hybrid success (Genetics), 2) Develop V × M hybrid breeding populations combining quality and disease resistance loci (Breeding), 3) Identify new disease resistance alleles (Pathology), 4) Determine preferred consumer quality attributes in V × M hybrids (Quality), 5) Assess market opportunities for Muscadinia-type hybrids (Marketing), and 6) Demonstrate potential for commercial production of Muscadinia-type hybrids (Production). We will translate outcomes from this project to stakeholders, growers, and consumers across the U.S. Our long-term goal is the introduction of disease-resistant cultivars with enhanced fruit quality through use of Muscadinia derived resistance loci, leading to a more resilient U.S. grape industry.
Animal Health Component
25%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
25%
Developmental
25%
Goals / Objectives
This project focuses on the synergistic potential for interdisciplinary research on disease resistance and quality traits in Vitis and Muscadinia.Objective 1 (Genetics):Determine the cytogenomic basis of V × M wide hybrid success and marker transferability.Objective 2 (Breeding): Develop V × M hybrid breeding populations combining consumer quality and disease resistance loci.Objective 3 (Pathology): Identify new loci and alleles associated with resistance to fungal and viral grapevine pathogens.Objective 4 (Quality): Determine key quality attributes affecting consumer preference in V × M hybrids.Objective 5 (Marketing): Assess market opportunities for Muscadinia-type hybrids.Objective 6 (Production): Demonstrate the potential for commercial production of Muscadinia-type hybrids.
Project Methods
Obj. 1 (Genetics): Determine the cytogenomic basis of V × M wide hybrid success and marker transferabilityThis objective will examine potential sources of recombination barriers and construct a prediction model to design successful crosses.To examine recombination patterns in wide hybrids, we propose to construct linkage maps from bulk pollen sequencing. Using comparative analysis of maps from different hybrids, we will quantify the contributions of various factors affecting recombination rates. This study will be led by Co-I's Sun (Bioinformatics), Pawlowski (Recombination), Worthington (Muscadinia breeding), and Cadle-Davidson (Vitis breeding).Obj. 1.1 Sequence genomes of key Muscadinia accessions and several V × M hybrids to examine recombination patterns in wide hybrids (Lead: Pawlowski).Obj. 1.2. Combine sequencing data with existing rhAmpSeq data to fill marker gaps in Muscadinia (Co-I Sun lead).Obj. 1.3. Develop chromosome painting visualizations of V × M hybrids to track introgressed regions (Lead: Sun). Obj. 2 (Breeding): Develop V × M hybrid breeding populations combining consumer quality and disease resistance lociTools from the genetics team (Obj. 1) will provide diagnostic markers for disease resistance and quality traits, facilitating development of improved populations combining the best attributes of Vitis and Muscadinia. The Breeding team is composed of breeders developing Vitis-type (Diaz, Oravec, Sapkota, and Worthington) and Muscadinia-type (Conner, El-Sharkawy, and Worthington) V × M hybrids. Breeders will interact with all project teams, providing information, plants, and fruit as needed and receiving feedback regarding promising parents, new disease resistance and quality alleles, and important breeding targets for consumer acceptance from the Obj. 3, 4, 5, and 6 teams.Obj. 2.1. Genotype existing V × M hybrids and diverse Muscadinia parents to identify optimal parental combinations (Lead: Worthington).Obj. 2.2. Develop mapping populations to identify new alleles for disease resistance and fruit quality (Lead: Worthington).Obj. 2.3. Identify elite selections for multi-site evaluation with production team (Lead: Worthington and Conner).Obj. 3 (Pathology): Identify new loci and alleles associated with resistance to fungal and viral grapevine pathogensCadle-Davidson, Brannen, Cieniewicz, and Conner will work with Genetics (Obj. 1), Breeding (Obj. 2), and Production (Obj. 6) teams to use well-established phenotyping and genotyping methodologiesfor the genetic analysis of resistance to four critical diseases in grape and muscadine production. In all cases, we will use diversity panels or biparental families from Muscadinia and V × M populations for traditional association or linkage mapping with haplotype DNA markers and WGS data described in Obj. 1.Obj 3.1 Powdery and downy mildew-controlled inoculations (Lead: Cadle-Davidson).Obj 3.2. Black rot natural infections (Lead: Conner).Obj 3.3. Using controlled screens with GLRaV-3 and its mealybug vectors (Lead: Cieniewicz).Obj. 4 (Quality): Determine key quality attributes affecting consumer preference in V × M hybridsThrelfall, Deltsidis, Lafontaine, Perkins-Veazie, Sacks, Sims, and Talcott will provide Quality data for the Genetics and Breeding teams (Obj. 1 and 2) for phenotyping, support the Production team (Obj. 6) with harvest and postharvest quality potential evaluations, and work with the Marketing team (Obj. 5) to determine important consumer attitudes for Muscadinia and V × M hybrids. Based on previous research on Vitis and Muscadinia grapes, quality attributes (composition and sensory) found in V × M hybrids will vary by consumer and aromas and flavors of Muscadinia may only be valued by segments of consumers in the different U.S. regions. Since this project aims to genetically identify and incorporate Muscadinia flavors into Vitis-type grapes, it is important to investigate how consumers across different U.S. regions will respond to those aromas and flavors unique to Muscadinia or V × M hybrids.Obj 4.1. Distribute a commercial muscadine juice for flavor evaluation in different U.S. regions with marketing team (Lead: Talcott and Threlfall).Obj 4.2. Evaluate quality attributes of fresh-market Muscadinia and V × M grapes from field trials (Lead: Threlfall, Talcott, Perkins-Veazie, Sims, and Deltsidis).Obj 4.3. Use consumer sensory and composition analysis to identify unique aroma and flavor attributes of Vitis, Muscadinia, and V × M grapes (Lead: PD Threlfall and Co-PD Worthington).Obj 4.4. Develop metabolomic selection models and markers associated with favorable attributes (Lead: Co-PD Worthington).Obj. 5 (Marketing): Assess market opportunities for Muscadinia-type hybridsKnuth, Fang, Lamm, and Sanders will work with Threlfall (Obj. 4) and Hoffmann (Obj. 6) to develop effective marketing strategies for Muscadinia-type hybrids. Existing consumer data and sensory-focused auctions and perception experiments will be used to develop effective marketing strategies. Results of ongoing research on marketing of wines made from disease resistant grape varieties in VitisGen3 should be applicable to new disease resistant Vitis-type hybrid winegrapes developed in this project. Therefore, the focus of this objective is fresh market grapes and Muscadinia-type hybrids.Obj 5.1. Organize focus groups and surveys of growers with production team (Obj. 6) (Lead: Sander, Lamm, and Knuth).Obj 5.2. Conduct sensory-focused auctions of fresh-market V × M hybrids at farmers' markets across U.S. regions and understand willingness to pay for attributes with the quality team (Lead: Knuth, Hoffmann, Worthington, and Threlfall) Obj 5.3. Assess historical information about successful fruit introductions (e.g. kiwifruit) to determine achievable steps to grow the market for Muscadinia-type hybrids. (Lead: Fang)Obj 5.4. Assess consumer preference for fresh grape product/packaging through in-person biometric experiments. (Lead: Knuth)Obj. 6 (Production): Demonstrate the potential for commercial production of Muscadinia-type hybridsOur project team will 1) create content to communicate discoveries to a broad audience (industry, researchers, and the general public); 2) ensure communication with stakeholders about research needs, opportunities, and impacts; 3) engage with and respond to industry advisory panel feedback; and 4) foster project team outreach efforts to broaden communication to state, regional, and national stakeholders through trade publications, presentations, field days, webinars, seminars, videos, factsheets, and blog posts. Through this objective, we will demonstrate the potential for commercial production of Muscadinia-type hybrids and improve industry and consumer engagement.Obj 6.1. Establish replicated field trials for muscadine and Muscadinia-type hybrids across U.S. Southeast. (Lead: Hoffmann, Sarkosh, McWhirt, Lowder, Scheiner, and Cook)?Obj 6.2. Develop on-farm demonstration plots in established and emerging muscadine and Muscadinia-type hybrid industries. (Lead: Hoffmann, Sarkosh, McWhirt, Lowder, Scheiner, Cook, Stafne, and Arnoldussen)Obj 6.3. Use field trials and commercial sites to conduct field days, grower, and consumer demonstrations, and provide fruit for quality (Obj. 4) and marketing (Obj. 5) evaluations. (Lead: Hoffmann, Sarkosh, McWhirt, Lowder, Scheiner, Cook, Stafne, and Arnoldussen)Obj 6.4. Develop outreach content for a broad range of stakeholders. (Lead: Hoffmann, Sarkosh, McWhirt, Lowder, Scheiner, Cook, Stafne, and Arnoldussen)