Grant Information
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202 - Plant Genetic Resources | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1080 - Genetics (excludes breeding) | 100% |
Few crops (sunflower, nuts, and berries) of commercial importance are indigenous to the U.S. The food security of the U.S. is based on non-indigenous crops imported years ago. Genetic resources of these crops and crop wild relatives are often no longer available from their source location. Plant genetic resources must be preserved for both current and future research use to ensure proper homeland security of American food and fiber.
Customers and users of the germplasm collection are continually in need of new sources of genetic variation to incorporate into research and breeding programs. Curators will acquire germplasm through domestic plant collection trips, germplasm exchanges, donations, retirements or elimination of existing breeding programs, or purchase. All genetic resources considered for acquisition will be evaluated for duplication, redundancy, and usefulness in improving the genetic diversity of the U.S. collection, often in consultation with S-009 and CGC scientists. Associated information for NPGS plant germplasm is documented and maintained in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Global) database. The information on GRIN-Global is publicly available with over 1.5 million web page inquiries in 2012 and has greatly benefited end-users such as plant breeders, curators, scientists, and educators. However, the information available is sometimes limited within a particular species for morphological, biochemical, molecular, or agronomic descriptors. To overcome these limitations and fill gaps for associated information in the PGRCU collection, missing data on plant descriptors, agronomic traits, biochemical traits, and genetic characterizations need to be generated, evaluated, and entered into GRIN-Global. Germplasm collections are most effectively utilized and supported when the research and educational communities are informed and aware of these genetic resources for their traditional and non-traditional uses. GRIN-Global will be the most effective way for users to identify and request specific accessions best suited for their use. Unit scientists, S-009 committee members, and CGC members will continue to make presentations at regional and national meetings as well as local or regional events to better publicize these valuable genetic resources. Plant genetic resources (seeds, in-vitro cultures, plants, cuttings, corms, and rhizomes) and associated information will be sent to users worldwide in response to requests received by email, internet, phone, and U.S. mail.
Target Audience
Undergraduate and graduate students in Agronomy, Horticulture and Crop Protection Farmers in Puerto Rico and other tropical/subtropical locations Extension personnel who provide technical assistance to farmers Home gardeners Business people in the horticultural wholesale and retail industries Department of Agriculture agronomists Government planners Plant Breeders, Plant Pathologists, and Soil Scientists Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico General public
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
Graduate and undergraduate students of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez became aware of the Artocarpus altilis project and participated in activities such as planting trees, maintaining the orchards, and evaluating the trees. Some of them donated planting material to the project. A starchy crops (Musa and root crops) conference was presented at the Agricultural Scientific Symposium at the Rio Piedras Agricultural Experiment Stationon year2013,to an audience of farmers, researchers, extension agents and agronomists from the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture. Oral presentations, field days, meetings, and consulting have all provided training in citrus production to stakeholders. Various graduate students from the Agro-environmental Sciences department at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, were trained in scientific method and research procedures. Citrus producers, extension agents and agronomists have received training on new methodologies and protocols at a citrus field day at the AES at Isabela. In addition, every year undergraduate students complete their summer practice on the citrus field experiments and protected structures. They learn about plant management, pest identification and data collection. Professional and technical staff associated with the project participated in the Citrus Expo in North Fort Myers during August 16-17, 2016. They attended presentations on new and latest information about HLB in Florida and learned about products for citrus production. Participation in scientific conferences such as Annual meeting of American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America, 11th International Mycologist Congress, 12th International Conference on Agriculture and Horticulture, and a local citrus meeting in Juana DÃaz Research Substation. Also, the PI of the citrus project was involved in meetings with personnel of Seed Program from the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico and citrus growers (after hurricane Maria) to provide them citrus propagation material.
Dissemination Streams
Oral presentations and peer review articles for the scientific community. Field days and workshops for farmers, extension agents, and students. The general public and agriculture enthusiasts are received at the germplasm collection on a daily basis.
Next Reporting Steps
Nothing Reported
Target Audience
Undergraduate and graduate students in Agronomy, Horticulture and Crop Protection Farmers in Puerto Rico and other tropical/subtropical locations Extension personnel who provide technical assistance to farmers Home gardeners Business people in the horticultural wholesale and retail industries Department of Agriculture agronomists Government planners Plant Breeders, Plant Pathologists, and Soil Scientists Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico General public
Changes / Problems
Fruit samples of quenepa were taken from the planting at Juana Diaz to determine fruit quality data with the support of the Food Science Department. Due to historical poor performance of the Lajas planting, data will no longer be collected there. In 2018, trees did not flower and produced fruit normally, probably due to stress from Hurricane Maria in September 2017. Pigeon pea genotypes with tolerance/resistance to pod-borer were not identified. Due to the electrical difficulties, the laboratory at Corozal was moved to Rio Piedras. The amendments for the new space began in the summer 2017 and it was inaugurated on October 4, 2018. Due to the impact of hurricane Maria to the island, three citrus greenhouses were renewed and our project established a new germplasm collection in Isabela Research Substation.
Training & Professional Development
Participation in scientific conferences such as the Annual Meeting of American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America, 11th International Mycologist Congress, 12th International Conference on Agriculture and Horticulture, and a local citrus crops meeting at Juana Diaz Research Substation. In addition, the PI of the citrus project participated in meetings with personnel of the Seed Program of the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico and citrus growers (after Hurricane Maria) to provide them with citrus propagation material.
Dissemination Streams
By participating in the scientific meetings mentioned above. Through practical workshops during field days and the ACORBAT Congress.
Next Reporting Steps
Conduct inheritance studies of ashy stem blight resistance in other Andean cultivars (e.g., A 195 and Badillo). Evaluate the agronomic performance and morphological traits of pigeon pea genotypes at Isabela and Lajas Research Substations. Maintain the plantain and root crops collections and keep the database updated with the most relevant information for each accession. Evaluate the tolerance of "Monalisa" banana to nematode infection at Corozal Research Substation. Evaluate agronomic traits of two new purple sweet potato cultivars at Corozal. Initiate collaboration with CIAT for further genetic evaluation of the cassava collection. Maintain the citrus collections in the field and in greenhouses and collect data from experimental fields at Isabela and Corozal Research Substations. Continue analyzing the data collected from the Adjuntas experimental field, write and submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. Expand the propagation of rootstock seed. Conduct preliminary studies of morphological and molecular characterization in coffee varieties. ? <br><br>
<br>What was accomplished under these goals? Forty-two pigeon pea, four common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and three cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] genotypes were inoculated one to three times with an aggressive Macrophomina phaseolina isolate, namely PRI16, in a greenhouse. 'A 195', 'Badillo' and 'PC 50' common beans had partial resistance, whereas I-8-3-4 and ICP 6915 pigeon peas and PI 339623 and PI 293570 cowpeas were resistant to this isolate. These genotypes might be used as donor parents to increase the level of ashy stem resistance in legume cultivars. In fact, PC 50 had two recessive genes conferring resistance to ashy stem blight in the 'PC 50'/'Othello' common bean population. Regarding the agronomic performance of pigeon pea, ICP 7035 and Lázaro had higher seed-yield values (526.0 and 696.5 kg/ha, respectively) compared to ICP 13207 (299.2 kg/ha) and Pinto Original (240.8 kg/ha) at the Isabela Research Substation. Guerrero (1668.7 kg/ha), ICP 7193 (1537.4 kg/ha), Pinto Berrocales (1425.9 kg/ha), Pinto Original (1329.1 kg/ha), and Super Pinto (1355.9 kg/ha) had higher yield at the Lajas Research Substation. The germplasm collection at Corozal Research Substation contains 17 plantain and 26 banana cultivars. The banana collection was renovated in October 2018 and the plantain collection was planted in September 2017, a week before Hurricane MarÃa and survived. The root crops germplasm collection in Corozal has 22 yam entries, 27 cassava, and 28 sweet potato; and in Isabela, 75 tanier entries. These collections were renovated. In Corozal, the yam collection was planted in March 2018; sweet potato, in September 2018; and cassava, in June 2018. In Isabela, the tanier collection was planted in April 2018. The main fungi identified in post-harvest yam were Fusarium spp., Colletotrichum spp., Aspergillus spp., Nigrospora spp., Botryodiplodia spp., Penicillium spp., and Rhizoctonia spp. Yam PI-15587 (D. alata L.) had the highest incidence of these fungi. Two new purple sweet potato cultivars were introduced in the collection. In citrus, Mexican lime (ML) had greater tree height and shoot growth when grafted in HRS 812 and HRS 897 (~4.2 m and 60 cm, respectively) versus in Swingle (~3.6 m and 54 cm). For Fine Clementine Mandarin (FCM), greater tree height was observed when grafted in HRS 812 and Swingle (~4.7 m) versus in HRS 897 (4.2 m). There were no differences in shoot variable between rootstocks. Campbell Valencia orange (CVO) had greater tree height and shoot growth when grafted in HRS 812 and in Swingle (~4.5 m and 53.2 cm) versus in HRS 897 (3.4 m and 47.2 cm). In regard to citrus greening (CG), a total of seven trees tested positive to CG (2 ML- HRS 897, 2ML- Swingle, 1 FCM-Swingle, 1 CVO- HRS 897, and 1 CVO-HRS 812). Sweet oranges (Marr's early and Pera) had higher total fruit production and fruit weight when grafted in HRS 802 (#150, ~25 kg) compared to when they were grafted in HRS 812 and Carrizo (#50, ~ 8 kg) rootstocks. However, for tree efficiency (fruit m-3), no statistical differences were found between the two sweet oranges in Adjuntas. <br><br><b>Publications</b><br>