Likewise, if dormancy is released too early in spring, the growing tissues may be killed by a late frost. On the other hand, trees that become dormant too early, or release dormancy too late, have a shortened growing season that reduces competitive ability and growth potential. Bud phenology phenotypeswere measured in a replicated clonal field trial containing the parental, F1, and F2 generations. Using a linkage map constructed of AFLP and microsatellite markers, ten QTLs controlling these traits were detected. The second project in my lab is on the metabolic engineering of glycinebetiane synthesis for enhancing plant freezing tolerance.
Frost injury is one of the primary factors limiting crop production around the world.
Although efforts have been made to select better-adapted cultivars and improve cultural management, progress has been very slow. Such subtle differences are highly amenable to research solutions. Genetic engineering recently has shown promise in improving abiotic stress tolerance of crop plants. It is a highly probable that freeze-tolerant plant genotypes can be developed by genetically engineering the glycinebetaine synthetic pathway using the codA gene. This project will not only produce hardier plant genotypes, but will also expand the number of available genes for improving freezing tolerance of crop plants.