2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Conventional breeding in tree crops requires multiple years of field growth before evaluation resulting in decreased revenue. DNA-informed breeding techniques provides breeders the ability of reducing numbers of individuals before significant field costs occur. However, incorporation of this technology introduces additional costs for machinery, chemicals, and labor. Previous simulations in apple have shown DNA-informed breeding may be cost-effective yet breeding programs in different crops require different inputs. In order to further evaluate DNA-informed effectiveness in perennial crops, we conducted a cost-benefit analysis examining marker-assisted selection (MAS) in an upper Midwest peach breeding program. Itemized costs and per unit costs were based on annual production costs from the program. Using these costs, simulations were conducted comparing MAS at the end of seedling test orchards with cull rates of low (40%), medium (60%), and high (80%) to conventional breeding methods. Additional simulations were then used to explore impacts of using MAS at an earlier stage prior to planting in seedling test orchards with cull rates of low (10%), medium (25%), and high (50%). To further investigate the relationship between labor cost and MAS utilization, sensitivity analyses were conducted examining decreases in seedling maintenance costs and MAS laboratory costs. These results serve to inform breeders of the cost-effectiveness and viability of DNA-informed breeding.