The Role of Genomics Research in Improvement of “Orphan” Crops

Abstract

REFERENCES ing early leads will not translate into commercially viable products ... but those that do may confer larger Bowman, D.T., O.L. May, and D.S. Calhoun. 1996. Genetic base of incremental gains than are available in the present cultiupland cotton cultivars released between 1970 and 1990. Crop Sci. 36:577–581. vated gene pool. Bowman, D.T., O.L. May, and D.S. Calhoun. 1997. Coefficients of Implementing this solution requires integration of reparentage for 260 cotton cultivars released between 1970 and 1990. search, education, and extension activities. Genetic vulUSDA Tech. Bull. 1852. nerability is a complex problem that results from a crop’s Calhoun, D.S., D.T. Bowman, and O.L. May. 1997. Pedigrees of upevolutionary history, trends in breeding and biotechnolland and pima cotton cultivars released between 1970 and 1995. ogy practices, and grower decisions based on inadequate Miss. Agric. & Forestry Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 1069:53. information being available, all responding to the ineviHelms, A.B. 2000. Yield study report. In P. Dugger and D. Richter (ed.) Proc. Beltwide Cotton Prod. Conf., San Antonio. TX. 4–9 table pressures of processor and consumer preferences. Jan. 2000. Natl. Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. Gaining the partnership of stakeholders is key. Toward May, O.L., D.T. Bowman, and D.S. Calhoun. 1995. Genetic diversity this end, while the introgressive breeding process proof U.S. Upland cotton cultivars released between 1980 and 1990. ceed, we are working with both researchers and extenCrop Sci. 35:1570–1574. sion personnel to create aWeb-based resource to provide Rayburn, S.T., R. Britton, and E. Keene. 1999. National Cotton Variobjective information about relatedness of genotypes, ety Tests. USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS. Available at http://msa.ars. as a management tool for producers to better deploy usda.gov/ms/stoneville/cgpr/rayburn.html (verified 6 July 2004). the remaining variation in the gene pool to minimize Saranga, Y., M. Menz, C. Jiang, R. Wright, D. Yakir, and A.H. Paterson. 2001. Genomic dissection of genotype environment adaptagenetic vulnerability of the crop, and a research tool tion conferring adaptation of cotton to arid conditions. Genome for scientists to glean new information useful for crop Res. 11:1988–1995. improvement. National Agricultural Statistics Service. 1998. Anual yield report. USDA-NASS, Washington, DC. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Van Esbroeck, G., D.T. Bowman, D.S. Calhoun, and O.L. May. 1998. The authors acknowledge the support of an IFAFS grant Changes in genetic diversity of cotton in the U.S. from 1970 to 1995. Crop Sci. 38:33–37. from CSREES USDA.