Genetic Mapping Of Adventitious Rooting In Peach: Correlation Of Genetic Markers And Root Systems

Adventitious rooting is the characteristic in plants that allows them to regenerate a root system from an excised shoot and enables a mass cloning of elite germplasm. However, some plant species root very poorly and the genetic basis of this deficiency is not known. The goal of this research is to identify the genetic factors behind the rooting of peaches. Two populations, A and C, are being phenotyped for their ability to produce adventitious roots. Approximately ten, twenty-centimeter long cuttings of current year wood were taken from each of the 378 trees in the A population and 57 trees in the C population. The leaves were stripped and the stems were dipped in IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) and placed in a soiless media, which consisted of vermiculite and perilite. They were then placed in the greenhouse and kept misted for four weeks. The cuttings were then scored for mortality, callus formation, root formation, and bud break. DNA from the dried leaf tissues of the same populations were extracted quantified, and quality checked in order to produce a more detailed genetic map