2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Vanilla planifolia is a high-value crop grown in warm tropical regions that is cultivated for its high-value fruit. Vanilla produces vanillin, a natural product, used in food flavoring, perfumes, and industrial products. Vanilla production however, is limited to few countries that experience significant production challenges that limit world supply and quality, raising the need for improved cultivars and the introduction of novel production systems. In order to advance breeding of Vanilla cultivars with better disease and stress tolerance, flavor and aroma profiles, and horticultural traits better suited to modern production systems, biotechnological tools that can accelerate precision breeding are needed. We are establishing a tissue culture, genetic transformation, and whole plant regeneration platform that incorporates diverse genetic material. Efforts are underway to identify appropriate tissues that are amenable to genetic transformation and whole plant regeneration. We are comparing Agrobacterium and nanoparticle mediated transformation methods, and the use of CRISPR/Cas 9 based gene editing in diverse Vanilla species, cultivars and tissues. One significant challenge to whole plant regeneration are recalcitrant seeds that lack controlled germination. Preliminary results indicate that partially developed seeds derived from immature green-fruiting pods can be germinated under specific media and conditions. Progress towards these goals will be presented and discussed.