UC Researchers Find SDMYB Gene, Cutting Avocado Flower-Type Wait by 5 to 10 Years
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 1
UC Researchers Find SDMYB Gene, Cutting Avocado Flower-Type Wait by 5 to 10 Years
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 1
Summary
UC Davis and UC Riverside researchers identified the SDMYB gene tied to avocado pollination traits, letting breeders predict whether seedlings will be A- or B-type before they ever flower.
A genetic test could replace the usual 5- to 10-year wait for trees to mature, allowing breeders to sort seedlings early and avoid using orchard space on unsuitable plants.
Hundreds of genetically diverse trees and thousands of flowers were tracked hour by hour to link the trait to SDMYB, with the findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
About 10% of many California orchards are planted with less-valuable B-type pollinizer trees because they boost nearby A-type varieties such as Hass, making earlier selection useful for orchard planning.
Researchers said breeders can use the marker now to develop stronger varieties, including more marketable B-types, even though editing flower type remains a longer-term prospect.