IYSV & Thrips Tolerance

"Ensuring U.S. Onion Sustainability: Breeding and Genomics to Control Thrips and Iris yellow spot virus"

Project Director - Dr. Mike Havey at mjhavey@wisc.edu

[Supported in part by USDA-NIFA-SCRI Project No. 2008-048014]

Goal: Establish collaborative research among growers, extension agents, pathologists, and breeders to identify, validate, and deliver resistances to thrips and thrips-vectored Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) in relation to the following objectives:

• Extension - Identification of resistance to thrips and IYSV; validation of phenotypes and distribution of selected germplasms; cotse-benefit estimates for thrips and IYSV resistances.

• Research - Biological diversity and inoculation protocols for IYSV; identification of SNPs in expressed onion sequences; production of a high throughput genotyping platform and a high-density genetic map of onion; association of SNPs with glossy-type foliage and/or thrips and IYSV resistance.

• Outreach - Outreach to the onion community; development of web-based bioinformatic and educational resources; undergraduate and graduate student training.