THE COOL DOWN - Before a young avocado tree ever produces its first flowers, breeders may now be able to predict whether it will follow the A or B type blooming schedule. Researchers at two University of California campuses identified its corresponding gene, according to a UC Riverside press release.
What happened?
A research team led by researchers at the University of California Davis — with contributions from scientists at the University of California Riverside — identified SDMYB, which is a gene linked to an avocado pollination trait. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Growers usually need both A and B type avocado trees in the same orchard because the two types of flower patterns behave on different timetables that complement each other.
The UC Riverside team contributed by monitoring hundreds of genetically diverse avocado trees and recording when thousands of flowers opened and closed, often hour by hour, because temperature changes can shift the schedule.