Elucidation of the ripening system of citrus fruits using time series data and development of genomic selection techniques.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20577
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0602:Agricultural and environmental biology and related fields
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Minamikawa Mai 千葉大学, 大学院園芸学研究院, 准教授 (20963218)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: カンキツ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Genomic breeding (genomic selection: GS) has the good potential to facilitate efficient fruit tree breeding. In this study, a method to efficiently obtain information on various fruit morphological features from fruit images of citrus fruits at multiple time points was developed. The fruit morphological features were used to perform genomic prediction (GP) with multiple statistical models to assess the potential of genomic breeding for fruit morphological features. High GP accuracy was showed in several fruit morphological features, indicating the good potential for GS with high accuracy. RNA-seq analysis from different organs of the citrus sampled at multiple time points allowed the identification of several candidate genes associated with fruit morphological features.

Free Research Field

遺伝育種学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果により、いくつかのカンキツの果実形態では、高い精度でGSを行える可能性を示した。望ましい果実形態を有する有望な個体を、芽生えの段階で早期に予測して選抜することができるようになり、果樹育種を効率化できる可能性がある。カンキツの果実画像からさまざまな果実形態の情報を効率的に取得する方法については、他の果樹育種への応用も可能である。