Using Honeyscrisp DNA To Improve Apples to a Desirable Breed

The Honeycrisp apple genome has been sequenced, which is great news for researchers and breeders working on this well-known and economically significant cultivar.

Things about Honeycrisp

(Photo : Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash)

The Rosaceae family of plants includes American varieties of apples such as Honeycrisp, which are botanically known as Malus Domestica.

In the latter half of the 20th century, researchers at the University of Minnesota's Agricultural Research Station used natural crossbreeding methods to create the contemporary apple, as per specialty produce.

In Europe, Honeycrisp apples are also referred to as Honeycrunch apples, and they are occasionally written Honey Crisp. Apples are one of the fruit types that are most widely grown for commercial purposes, and consumers adore them for their sweet flavor, juicy, crisp texture, and vivid coloration.

Read More: Climate Change Making Apples Sweeter, Softer

Genome sequencing of fruits

Technologies for genetic analysis have recently advanced, creating new opportunities to increase plant breeding effectiveness, as per National Library of Medicine.

In particular, the breeding of fruit trees can benefit from new genomics-based techniques like genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection (GS).

Fruit tree breeding is hampered by their lengthy generation times, enormous plant sizes, lengthy juvenile stages, and the requirement to wait until the plant is physiologically mature in order to assess the marketable product (fruit).

Honeycrisp genomes aid the improvement of apple breeding

According to the paper, a genome that has been sequenced using cutting-edge technology and made publicly accessible on an open-source basis is a valuable resource for understanding the genetic basis of crucial traits in apples and other tree fruit species, which can be used to improve breeding efforts, as per Phys.org.

Breeders have used Honeycrisp as a parent in nine new cultivars that are currently available, including the Cornell University-developed Snapdragon, due to its advantageous qualities, which include crispness, flavor, cold-hardiness, and resistance to the fungal disease known as apple scab.

Awais Khan, associate professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell AgriTech, explained that Honeycrisp trees need a specific nutrient management program for optimal yields and health because they have trouble obtaining adequate nutrients on their own.

The Honeycrisp genome was sequenced, assembled, and published in a short amount of time because to advancements in genetic sequencing technology.

The genome of the apple, which was initially sequenced in 2010 with the Golden Delicious variety, is generally complicated, enormous, and heterozygous, indicating that many gene variants exist.

The apple genome has many repetitive nucleotides. When the first apple genome was revealed in 2010, technology could only read 150 letters at a time, or little segments of DNA.

This made it possible for them to piece together larger DNA strings to recognize whole genes and ultimately the genome. However, this approach has a drawback in that the process might become muddled by repeated aspects.

The researchers were able to sequence two separate sets of chromosomes thanks to modern technology, which could be used in the future to distinguish between the distinct genetic contribution of each parent.

The Honeycrisp genome covered 97% of the protein-coding genes using these cutting-edge techniques. By contrast, just 68% of the genes were covered by the 2010 Golden Delicious genomic sequences.

Related Article: Fruit With Human Skin: Here's How Scientists Grow Lifelike Human Ears From Apples