2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Guo-qing Song

Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. (E-mail: songg@msu.edu)

Blueberries contain high amounts of antioxidants known to be important for human health. Developing new cultivars with different chilling requirement, high cold/heat tolerance, and high yield are the top priorities in blueberry breeding due particularly to the anticipation of climate changes. This presentation will focus on biotechnological approaches to increase productivity of blueberry. Overexpression of a blueberry DWARF AND DELAYED FLOWERING 1 increased freezing tolerance without a trade-off impact on plant growth. Transgenic blueberries overexpressing a blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T (VcFT) were produced and will facilitate FAST-TRACK blueberry breeding. Transgrafting on VcFT-overexpressing blueberry plants promoted floral bud formation in nontransgenic scions, and it provides a new approach to increase blueberry yield. Overexpression of the K-domain of a blueberry SUPPRESSOR of Overexpression of Constans 1 gene increased berry productivity through the interaction of MIKC MADS-box genes. Transcriptome analyses in transgenic and non-transgenic blueberries revealed cold-regulated genes and flowering pathway genes. These studies suggest that manipulation of flowering pathway gene(s) is powerful to increase blueberry productivity.