Breeding for physiological differences and propagation of interesting genotypes of the cornelian cherry in the Pielachtal, Triestingtal and Gölsental as a contribution to adaptation to climate change

Cornelian cherries gain increasingly the consumer interest as healthy food, which leads to an increased market demand for high quality fruits and corresponding planting material. Previously we have analyzed more than 400 genetically unique C. mas accessions in the Pielach Valley, Traisen Valley and Gölsen Valley, both phenotypically and genetically. Findings on the long-term development of temperature and precipitation levels suggest that breeding for drought tolerance and disease resistance prevail in the face of current and future challenges with changing climatic conditions. To develop a breeding strategy for the production of novel genotypes adapted to future needs for a sustainable production in the region, the following objectives are envisaged: 1. The germination of the cornel cherry seeds takes up to 3 years and first fruits are expected in seedling plants after 8 years. Therefore, a marked reduction in the germination time would benefit the breeding, but also the propagation of Cornelian cherry. Thus, the premature breaking of the dormancy is a major issue to be worked on and improved in the present project in vivo and in vitro. 2. Valuable cultivars have to be propagated vegetatively. Grafting experiments will be carried out at different times of the year and with different scions in the greenhouse and in the insect proof screenhouse. In addition, the technique of "in vitro grafting" will be established for Cornus mas. 3. The creation of a reference genome sequence of a Pielachtal selection of Cornus mas will make it possible to identify essential genome segments including regulatory elements and provide the basis for a marker-assisted selection (MAS). 4. A MAS strategy will be developed and used on selected genotypes in the Austrian Cornelian cherry cultivation. This will allow to shorten the time until a decision is made about the breeding value of a new breed, i.e. the later growth and production behavior of a plant, as early as the seedling stage. 5. Cornelian cherries are also attacked by viruses and phytoplasmas. However, since they are mainly considered wild plants, infections are not reported, because there exist no systematic surveys. Since virus transmission via seeds cannot be ruled out in Cornelian cherry, in the present project, the testing of seedlings and planting material by ELISA or PCR will be established and a control strategy developed.