| Abstract Detail
Functional Genetics/Genomics Dowling, Caroline [1], Shi, Jiaqi [1], McCabe, Paul [1], Melzer, Rainer [1], Schilling, Susanne [1]. To flower or not to flower: Uncovering the genetic control of photoperiod-insensitive flowering in Cannabis sativa. Cannabis sativa is a versatile crop with various uses spanning biofuel, fibre, oil, building materials, and textile production. Furthermore, cannabidiol (CBD) synthesized in the trichomes of female flowers has medicinal applications in treating several conditions such as epilepsy. With its high carbon sequestration rate, Cannabis has the potential to be an ideal crop for a sustainable economy. Cannabis is broadly classified as marijuana, which typically contains high levels of the intoxicating drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or as hemp, which possesses minimal THC concentrations. However, because marijuana can be used for illicit purposes, the growth of Cannabis was banned in many countries throughout the world, with hemp cultivation only permitted in some countries in recent years. A consequence of this is the immense knowledge gap for the genetic underpinnings of various traits in Cannabis, including flowering time. Flowering time is a vital trait both agriculturally and ecologically that is directly linked to yield and growth characteristics. Understanding flowering time is critical for producing hemp cultivars adapted to specific latitudinal lines and climatic conditions. Most hemp cultivars are short-day plants, meaning they only flower when the day length drops below 12-14 hours. However, photoperiod-insensitive cultivars also exist, meaning flowering occurs after a defined number of days post-germination irrespective of the day length. Here, we present quantitative trait loci analysis on a mapping population formed from a cross between photoperiod-insensitive and photoperiod-sensitive hemp cultivars. Candidate genes inferring the photoperiod-insensitive flowering phenotype have been preliminarily identified, while transcriptomic analyses are ongoing to identify to causal gene. Results from this research will accelerate the development of new cultivars adapted to diverse climatic conditions, thereby expanding hemp cultivation to a wider geographic range. This study represents an important step towards elucidating the genetic architecture of the flowering time network in this fascinating crop.
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1 - University College Dublin, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Keywords:
Cannabis sativa
flowering time
QTL mapping
genomics
transcriptomics.
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P2, Functional Genetics and Genomics Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P2CG003
Abstract ID:598
Candidate for Awards:None |
