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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD HOW TREE FRUIT/NUT YIELD ALTERNATELY FLUCTUATES FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT, HINDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE APPROACHES FOR MITIGATING THE ALTERNATE BEARING PHENOMENON FOR CONSISTENT PRODUCTION OF TREE CROPS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW SUGAR CONCENTRATIONS AFFECT ALTERNATE BEARING OF PECAN. IT IS KNOWN THAT CARBOHYDRATE LEVELS ARE POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH ALTERNATE BEARING OF NUTS AND THE HORMONE GIBBERELLIN (GA) INHIBITS FEMALE BUD FORMATION IN PECAN. IT IS ALSO KNOWN THAT THE SUGARS WILL EVENTUALLY BE EXPORTED TRANSPORTER (SWEET) TRANSPORT BOTH SUGAR AND GA IN MULTIPLE PLANT SPECIES AND THE EXPRESSION OF SOME SWEET GENES ARE INDUCED BY SUGAR. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT HIGH SUGAR CONCENTRATIONS IN AN ON-YEAR OF PECAN NUT PRODUCTION UPREGULATE THE EXPRESSION OF SPECIFIC SWEET GENES, WHICH INCREASES THE TRANSPORT OF GA THAT SUPPRESSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE FLOWERS IN DEVELOPING BUDS, LEADING TO A LOW FEMALE BLOOM RETURN IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: 1. DETERMINING HOW SUGAR CONCENTRATION, CISWEET EXPRESSION, GA CONCENTRATION, AND FLORAL GENE EXPRESSION ARE CORRELATED IN PECAN TREES UNDERGOING ALTERNATE BEARING. 2. DETERMINING HOW CHANGES IN SUGAR CONCENTRATION AFFECT CISWEET GENE EXPRESSION, GIBBERELLIN CONCENTRATION, AND FLORAL GENE EXPRESSION IN STEM CUTTINGS. 3. CHARACTERIZING SUGAR-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTOMIC CHANGES IN FIRST-YEAR DEVELOPING BUDS ON PECAN STEM CUTTINGS AND VALIDATING THE REPRODUCTIVE ROLES OF SELECTED GENES IN PECAN AND ARABIDOPSIS. THE INFORMATION GARNERED WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS ALTERNATE BEARING OF PECAN AND OTHER TREE SPECIES.

$649,348FY2024National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD HOW TREE FRUIT/NUT YIELD ALTERNATELY FLUCTUATES FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT, HINDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE APPROACHES FOR MITIGATING THE ALTERNATE BEARING PHENOMENON FOR CONSISTENT PRODUCTION OF TREE CROPS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW SUGAR CONCENTRATIONS AFFECT ALTERNATE BEARING OF PECAN. IT IS KNOWN THAT CARBOHYDRATE LEVELS ARE POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH ALTERNATE BEARING OF NUTS AND THE HORMONE GIBBERELLIN (GA) INHIBITS FEMALE BUD FORMATION IN PECAN. IT IS ALSO KNOWN THAT THE SUGARS WILL EVENTUALLY BE EXPORTED TRANSPORTER (SWEET) TRANSPORT BOTH SUGAR AND GA IN MULTIPLE PLANT SPECIES AND THE EXPRESSION OF SOME SWEET GENES ARE INDUCED BY SUGAR. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT HIGH SUGAR CONCENTRATIONS IN AN ON-YEAR OF PECAN NUT PRODUCTION UPREGULATE THE EXPRESSION OF SPECIFIC SWEET GENES, WHICH INCREASES THE TRANSPORT OF GA THAT SUPPRESSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE FLOWERS IN DEVELOPING BUDS, LEADING TO A LOW FEMALE BLOOM RETURN IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: 1. DETERMINING HOW SUGAR CONCENTRATION, CISWEET EXPRESSION, GA CONCENTRATION, AND FLORAL GENE EXPRESSION ARE CORRELATED IN PECAN TREES UNDERGOING ALTERNATE BEARING. 2. DETERMINING HOW CHANGES IN SUGAR CONCENTRATION AFFECT CISWEET GENE EXPRESSION, GIBBERELLIN CONCENTRATION, AND FLORAL GENE EXPRESSION IN STEM CUTTINGS. 3. CHARACTERIZING SUGAR-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTOMIC CHANGES IN FIRST-YEAR DEVELOPING BUDS ON PECAN STEM CUTTINGS AND VALIDATING THE REPRODUCTIVE ROLES OF SELECTED GENES IN PECAN AND ARABIDOPSIS. THE INFORMATION GARNERED WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS ALTERNATE BEARING OF PECAN AND OTHER TREE SPECIES. · GrantIndex