Institut für Züchtungsforschung an Obst
Apple Replant Disease (ARD) also referred to as soil fatigue describes the phenomenon that the soil loses its function as a growth medium after replanting the same species. As a result, replanted plants show poor vegetative development and reduced yields. In the previous phases I and II of the Ordiamur project, RNAseq analyses were used to indentify differentially expressed candidate genes that may play a role in the plant's response to ARD-contaminated soil. Based on these results, candidate genes will be selected in Phase III of the project to expand the existing list of potential biomarker genes. All selected genes will be tested for their suitability as biomarker for ARD-contaminated soil. The validation of biomarker genes will be done using plants of the rootstock M26 grown on different soils distributed over Germany. Another objective is to test the effect of several ARD control measures on the expression of the selected candidate genes. These aspects will be investigated on plant material obtained in central experiments in the frame of the collaborative Ordiamur project. Furthermore, the project will optimize protocols for RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and qPCR to improve the handling of candidate genes as biomarkers. As a result, a set of robust biomarkers for the reliable detection of ARD contamination in soils should be available, which can be applied in future analyses in an easy, fast, and cost-effective way.
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
