Dr. Doron Holland, ARO, Agricultural Research Organization Neve Ya’ar
Facing challenges of climate and fruit quality and incorporating genomic approaches to accelerate breeding
Deciduous plants respond to decreasing temperatures and short day light by entering dormancy in winter. This phenomenon occurs in many fruit tree species and is thoroughly studied due to its agricultural importance. The behavior of trees in changing climate and their ability to flower and bear fruit is dramatically influenced by temperatures during winter. In this lecture I will describe our studies with evergreen pomegranate trees. Unlike most pomegranate trees which are shedding their leaves in winter, evergreen pomegranates stay green all year round. We undertook a molecular genetic approach to identify the gene responsible for the evergreen trait and suggest a mechanistic model for its action.