Results of Open Call #1

The Open Call #1 closed on 31.12.2021. A total of 3 proposals were received and 3 proposals have been selected for funding. We would like to thank all applicants for their interest and look forward to the collaboration with Angus Softfruit Ltd., Geoplant Vivai and Niwa Berry Breeding! Further information is available in the Public evaluation report on Open Call #1.

Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) in strawberry

Marker assisted selection is a method used to select desirable individuals in a breeding programme based on DNA molecular marker patterns in addition to their trait values. This can serve as a valuable tool to assist breeders to select new genotypes more efficiently. In this project, we will evaluate the predictive capacity of molecular markers and their usefulness for MAS. The selected markers are either already published or currently under research within the BreedingValue consortium, and have been validated in diverse strawberry germplasm for a reduced number of cases. We will focus on identifying molecular markers for the traits listed in the annex at the end of the document, such as disease resistances, fruit quality as well as vegetative and production traits. For the project, a low-density SNP array for Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) is currently under development in cooperation with an external facility, that will perform the genotyping for the breeders selected in this Open Call. The genotyping costs will be covered by the BreedingValue consortium.

The objective of this Open Call
The objective of this Open Call #1 is to share this easy-to-use tool with the selected external breeders to facilitate the selection of superior breeding material. In return, the results obtained by the breeders will allow the BreedingValue consortium to validate the low-density SNP array in larger genetic backgrounds.

In this Open Call, we have funded 3 projects à 20,000€.