There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research studies
Patrick P. Edger1,2, , Massimo Iorizzo3,4, , Nahla V. Bassil5 , Juliana Benevenuto6 , Luis Felipe V. Ferrão6 , Lara Giongo7 , Kim Hummer5 , Lovely Mae F. Lawas8 , Courtney P. Leisner8 , Changying Li9 , Patricio R. Munoz6 , Hamid Ashrafi4 , Amaya Atucha10 , Ebrahiem M. Babiker11 , Elizabeth Canales12 , David Chagné13 , Lisa DeVetter14 , Mark Ehlenfeldt15 , Richard V. Espley13 , Karina Gallardo16 , Catrin S. Günther13 , Michael Hardigan17 , Amanda M. Hulse-Kemp18,19 , MacKenzie Jacobs1,20 , Mary Ann Lila3 , Claire Luby17 , Dorrie Main21 , Molla F. Mengist3,4 , Gregory L. Owens22 , Penelope Perkins-Veazie4 , James Polashock15 , Marti Pottorff3 , Lisa J. Rowland23 and Charles A. Sims24 , Guo-qing Song25 , Jessica Spencer4 , Nicholi Vorsa15 , Alan E. Yocca1,26 , Juan Zalapa,27
1Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA 2MSU AgBioResearch, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA 3Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA 4Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA 5USDA-ARS, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA 6Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA 7Fondazione Edmund Mach - Research and Innovation Centre Italy 8Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA 9Phenomics and Plant Robotics Center, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, USA 10Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA 11USDA-ARS Southern Horticultural Laboratory, Poplarville, MS 39470-0287, USA 12Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA 13The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand 14Department of Horticulture, Washington State University Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, Mount Vernon, WA, 98221, USA 15SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA 16School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Puyallup, WA 98371, USA 17USDA-ARS, Horticulture Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA 18USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA 19Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA 20Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA 21Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA 22Department of Biology, University of Victoria, BC, Canada 23USDA-ARS, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA 24Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA 25Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA 26Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA 27USDA-ARS, VCRU, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA *Corresponding author. E-mail: edgerpat@msu.edu,miorizz@ncsu.edu
Received: 19 Jan 2022 Accepted: 22 Mar 2022 Published online: 11 Apr 2022
Abstract
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) contains a wide diversity of culturally and economically important berry crop species. Consumer demand and scientific research in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) have increased worldwide over the crops’ relatively short domestication history (~100 years). Other species, including bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and ohelo berry (Vaccinium reticulatum) are largely still harvested from the wild but with crop improvement efforts underway. Here, we present a review article on these Vaccinium berry crops on topics that span taxonomy to genetics and genomics to breeding. We highlight the accomplishments made thus far for each of these crops, along their journey from the wild, and propose research areas and questions that will require investments by the community over the coming decades to guide future crop improvement efforts. New tools and resources are needed to underpin the development of superior cultivars that are not only more resilient to various environmental stresses and higher yielding, but also produce fruit that continue to meet a variety of consumer preferences, including fruit quality and health related traits.
, Massimo Iorizzo3,4 ,
