Advances in cultivar and rootstock breeding: a case study in peach

Environmental challenges, changes in production systems, and human preferences are driving the need for delivery of new scion and rootstock cultivars for sustainable production. The latest innovations in science and technology are integrated in plant breeding to provide sustained solutions to production challenges and market demands. Understanding the genetics of the key traits of importance for fruit tree production and sustainability is the main generator of advances in breeding of new cultivars that can address changing needs of the fruit industry. Characterization and utilization of genetic diversity, and the application of genomic technologies are needed to improve breeding efficiency in both scion and rootstock cultivar development. Functional and comparative genomics studies utilizing synteny and collinearity among species and genera are often applied in development of new cultivars with desirable traits via marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Routine DNA-informed breeding has become reality via translation of the new discoveries into practical breeding-friendly tools and knowledge. A multidisciplinary approach that incorporates the application of modern technological tools, such as marker-assisted and genomic selection, in peach scion and rootstock cultivar development in the Clemson University peach breeding program are presented.