Poplar GWAS population and expertise
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Description
Genetically characterized population of P. trichocarpa with superior colonial section are available for regional trials. Information on productivity, cell wall chemistry, disease and insect resistance, and below grown biomass growth are available to collaborators. Expertise on poplar silviculture including irrigation and fertilization regimes can be provided to potential collaborators. Information on gene expression to phenotypes via GWAS analysis have identified numerous loci controlling bioenergy relevant traits. Data collection and abstraction expertise and algorithms based on AI and ML approaches are extensible to population of biofeedstocks.
Capability Bounds
This Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) dataset includes more than 28 million single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs that have been derived from 17 trillion bases of sequence data generated from 882 undomesticated Populus genotypes.
Unique Aspects
Among short-rotation woody crops considered for bioenergy, poplar offers the best genetic knowledge base and opportunity for improved performance across diverse landscapes with the GWAS population based at ORNL.
Availability
Superior poplar genotypes with enhanced yield and disease resistance are available for field trials. Data on yield, cell wall chemistry, disease and insect resistance is available for each of these genotypes.
Benefit
Implementing field trials with genotypes from the GWAS population enables researchers to methodically explore genotypic x environmental associations across various conditions. It also provides an opportunity to develop innovative crop scale-up strategies.
Capability Expert(s)
Wellington Muchero
References
CBI Poplar GWAS dataset: https://cbi.ornl.gov/gwas-dataset/
Bdeir, R., Muchero, W., Yordanov, Y. et al. Genome-wide association studies of bark texture in Populus trichocarpa. Tree Genetics & Genomes 15, 14 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-019-1320-2
Taylor, Gail, Jack H Bailey-Bale, Marie C Klein, Suzanne Milner, Jin-Gui Chen, Wellington Muchero, Peter Freer-Smith, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Jerry Tuskan. “Harnessing the Power of Poplar Tree Natural Genetic Variation for the Development of Future Sustainable Biofuels and Bioproducts: A Droughted Marginal-Land Experiment for Multi-disciplinary Investigations.” bioRxiv, January 11, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.11.575272.
Tuskan, G. A. et al. ,The Genome of Black Cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray).Science313,1596-1604(2006).DOI:10.1126/science.1128691
