A team of researchers from the Strawberry Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology group of the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural, Fisheries, Food, and Organic Production Research and Training (Ifapa) in Malaga has identified specific regions of the strawberry genome to improve its firmness. This has allowed them to develop a molecular marker that can be used to select strawberry varieties that are 50% firmer more efficiently.
The study analyzed 124 different strawberry accessions from the Fragaria Germplasm Bank located in Ifapa's Malaga center. Researchers evaluated 26 of the fruit's agronomic and quality characteristics, such as its size, firmness, sugar, and vitamin C content.
The results show that genetic improvements have improved the fruit's size and firmness. However, this has had a negative impact on other important characteristics, such as its sugar or vitamin C content.
In addition, researchers identified specific regions of the strawberry genome related to key traits, including a region on chromosome 6A that affects fruit firmness.
In this regard, Ifapa researchers discovered that this effect is related to the expression of a gene called FaPG1, which regulates this firmness. Based on this finding, they have been able to develop a molecular marker that has the potential to allow them to select firmer strawberry varieties more efficiently.
Creating new strawberry varieties is a long and complex process, as numerous traits related to cultivation and fruit quality must be improved. However, advances in genetics make it possible to use tools such as DNA markers to identify specific traits and accelerate the development of new improved varieties, leaving behind traditional methods based only on direct observation of the plants.
The results of this study, a work co-funded by the State Research Agency, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Universities, and European ERDF funds, have been published in the article"Genome-wide association studies in a diverse strawberry collection unveil loci controlling agronomic and fruit quality traits" in the December issue of The Plant Genome scientific journal, which is available online at: https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tpg2.20509.
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