Gene Breakthrough Speeds Up Avocado Breeding
Researchers have identified the genetic switch that determines avocado flowering patterns, allowing for faster breeding cycles. This discovery helps growers optimize pollination by planting complementary A- and B-type trees.
Why it matters
This genetic breakthrough significantly reduces the time required to develop new avocado varieties, potentially increasing agricultural efficiency and food security.
Scientists have found a genetic switch that could shave years off avocado breeding by allowing researchers to identify one of a young tree's most important traits long before it flowers.
Researchers at UC Riverside helped identify the gene that controls whether an avocado tree has an A- or B-type flowering pattern. These flowering patterns determine how neighboring trees exchange pollen, making them an important factor in avocado production.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study was led by researchers at UC Davis in collaboration with UCR scientists, whose avocado breeding collections, field observations, and genetic analyses were essential to the discovery.
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