The 2010 ASHS Annual Conference

Objective(s):
1. Identify the value of using wild genetic resources in breeding/research programs 2. Provide examples of highly successful plant expeditions 3. Uses of wild relatives of horticultural crops in genomics

Wild plant genetic resources are increasingly becoming valuable for breeding, genomics, and ornamental horticulture programs.  Wild relatives of horticultural species may offer desirable traits that are not available in cultivated varieties, but wilds often also have traits that are highly undesirable.  Advances in comparative genomics and marker-assisted breeding facilitate the inclusion of the valued traits from wild materials in plant breeding programs.  As technologies advance, wild plant genetic resources will become even more valuable for future research developments.  Our presenters include plant explorers who have traveled throughout the world to identify novel and representative plant materials, often for inclusion in the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System collections.  The speakers will highlight the novelty and diversity illustrated by wild materials.  Importantly, they will show how these materials, some of which may exhibit less-than-desirable characteristics, are providing key genes for horticultural improvement. The presenters will provide information on explorations that can be immediately used to excite and engage students in horticulture classes.