ISHS Acta Horticulturae 446: VI International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture
APPLYING BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO VACCINIUM IMPROVEMENT: A REVIEW |
| Authors: | R.A. Serres, E.L. Zeldin, B.H. McCown |
| Keywords: | in vitro germination, bar gene, micropropagation, genetic engineering, insect resistance |
| Abstract:
The tools of microculture, micropropagation, genetic engineering and genetic fingerprinting are currently being used in plant production and improvement programs for various Vaccinium species. Micropropagation is one of the more readily transferable technologies within the genus; techniques have been refined and commercially applied to lingonberry, cranberry and blueberry. Microculture techniques necessary for genetic transformation have been developed for blueberry, lingonberry, and cranberry, and successful genetic transformation of cranberry has been demonstrated. Insect resistance and herbicide tolerance are being investigated for potential improvement through genetic engineering. Field trials of the first transgenic Vaccinium containing a gene for insect resistance were initiated in the spring of 1995. In addition to micropropagation and genetic engineering, microculture techniques have proven useful for bioassaying gene expression and for rapidly recovering seedling populations produced in conventional breeding. Summarized here are the advances in using some of the tools of biotechnology and the current status of several programs for Vaccinium improvement. | |
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