Prediction of genetic value for sweet cherry fruit maturity among environments using a 6K SNP array

Abstract

Genetics: Sweet news for cherry breeders Or Genetics: Cherry-ripening is predictable in new environments The fruiting season of a cherry is short and sweet, but at least it’s relatively consistent across different environments, a new genetic analysis suggests. The development of additional early- and late-maturing sweet cherry cultivars is a major objective for cherry-breeders, but the influence of the environment on the timing of fruit maturity—which could reduce the accuracy of selective breeding efforts - was unclear. So, Craig Hardner at the University of Queensland in St Lucia and colleagues used DNA markers to model relationships among individuals and examined the dates at which their fruit ripened at four different locations in Europe and the USA across two seasons. The timing of fruit maturity was relatively stable between related individuals across similar environments, suggesting that new cherry cultivars could be developed without having to test them at multiple sites.