Recent changes and advances in the Australian Strawberry Breeding Program

Abstract

Presentation, Abstract only:

The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program (ASBP) is a national program that develops improved varieties to benefit Australian farmers and consumers. The subtropical node breeds for new varieties specifically adapted to Bundaberg and South East Queensland. ASBP breeders work closely with growers in these regions to identify key traits that ensure profitability, both now and looking ahead into a future complicated by climate change. As a result of this, we focus on, and have made significant gains in, breeding accessions that perform well under heat stress, including unbranched peduncles and a decreased proportion of small fruit in warmer months. We have also made gains in truss architectures, ideal for robotic harvesting in tabletop production. Our seed exchange program with multiple international organisations also allows us access to a myriad of traits, including flavour volatiles, that are not currently present in our germplasm. We continue to make progress in genomics analyses, now regularly implementing marker-assisted selection in our breeding pipeline. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have recently identified genetic markers linked to susceptibility to Red Leaf Disorder, a devastating condition of unknown cause that can lead to wide-spread plant death. A recent statistical review of our breeding program has identified many areas for improvement, from experimental design to data collection and analysis. As a result, several statistical advances were recently implemented in our routine breeding analysis pipeline. These include improved experimental designs, contemporary group analysis, and weekly data checks for statistical outliers. Further statistical advances are the subject of current research and testing with a view to be implemented into routine analyses. These include repeated measures analyses, bivariate trait analyses, transferring rating scales from 1-9 to more granulated percentage scores and optimising the number of times and when in a season a trait is measured.