RESEARCH
Characterization of Citrus Germplasm and citrus Breeding
UCR has a long history of citrus research and maintains one of the most diverse collections of citrus germplasm in the world. The genetic characterization of both cultivated and wild germplasm housed in the Citrus Variety Collection (www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu) is a prerequisite for downstream genetic analyses including quantitative trait locus mapping (QTL), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection (GS). We are interested in high-throughput genotyping of these varieties to expedite trait discovery and selection in citrus.
High-throughput phenotyping of citrus
In the absence of extensive, high quality phenotypic data, breeding programs are limited in the ability to exploit genetic and genomic tools to their full potential. By reducing the costs and labor required, advances in imaging are generating phenotypic data at unprecedented scales. We will implement high-throughput phenotyping methods to capture trait variation across citrus germplasm. We are interesting in assessing variation in traits related to fruit quality, agronomic performance, and pest and pathogen resistance.
Evolutionary genomics in Citrus and its relatives
Citrus is a wonderful model for examining how the evolution of plant genomes has shaped genetic variation in a perennial crop species. Many of the citrus varieties we are familiar with today are the result of hybridization between a handful of species in the genus Citrus and its close relatives. We will leverage high-quality citrus genomes to examine the evolutionary processes that gave rise to domesticated citrus.