Source: UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT submitted to
CORRELATION OF DNA POLYMORPHISMS TO HIGH SAP SUCROSE CONTENT IN MAPLE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0193464
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
VT-BO-00902
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2002
Project End Date
Oct 1, 2005
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Currier, W.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
(N/A)
BURLINGTON,VT 05405
Performing Department
PLANT BIOLOGY
Non Technical Summary
The sugar concentration in the sap is one of the most important variables in maple syrup production. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) sap sweetness varies from less that 0.7 percent to more than 10 percent with the average tree at about 2 percent. We will find a marker for high sap sucrose in sugar maple. This will allow a producer to select the better trees while they were still young.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
50%
Developmental
25%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2010620100075%
2060680108025%
Knowledge Area
201 - Plant Genome, Genetics, and Genetic Mechanisms; 206 - Basic Plant Biology;

Subject Of Investigation
0680 - Other products of the forest; 0620 - Broadleaf forests of the North;

Field Of Science
1080 - Genetics; 1000 - Biochemistry and biophysics;
Goals / Objectives
1. Correlate sap sugar content with RAPD fingerprints from maple DNA. 2. Correlate sap sugar content with AFLP analysis of maple DNA. 3. Develop polyacrylamide gel separation techniques for the RAPD and AFLP fragments.
Project Methods
In this work we propose to use modern techniques to amplify (polymerase chain reaction, PCR) randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to characterize maple trees with high levels of sucrose in their sap.

Progress 10/01/02 to 10/01/05

Outputs
We have measured sap sugar levels in 11 standard trees and 174 trees from the Marvin Experimental Orchard for five years to find consistently high or low sap sugar producers. DNA was isolated from forced buds from these trees and used for RAPD and AFLP analysis. No consistent markers that correlated with high sugar production were found. We then pooled the DNA from several half sib trees from the Marvin Orchard into high and low producers. These DNA pools were then tested by RAPD and AFLP analysis for markers for high sugar producers. No consistent markers were found.

Impacts
Any increase in the sugar content of the sap yields rewards in the amount of syrup produced and in reduced energy costs to concentrate the sap. If a producer could increase the average level of sucrose in the sap of the trees in his sugarbush from 2% sucrose to 6% he would have to concentrate only one third as much sap to produce a gallon of syrup. Detection of "sweet trees" while they are still saplings should be possible with modern molecular techniques.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04

Outputs
We have continued to test the sap of standard and half-sib trees to find trees which produce high sap sugar. Combined DNA samples from half-sib trees with high or low sap sugar were used to make high sucrose and low sucrose groups. Tests of these groups for DNA markers which correlate with high sap sugar have been done using RAPD techniques.

Impacts
Selection of high sucrose producing trees while they are young will greatly benefit producers.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
We have used random primers to test for markers for high sucrose producing trees by RAPD and AFLP methods. While some good markers have been found, none which will reliably predict high producers has been detected.

Impacts
Selection of high sucrose producing trees while they are young will greatly benefit producers.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period