Genetic characterization of varieties is very important for farmers, because it allows choosing the right combination of planting the varieties in the orchard, to obtain a maximum yield. Characterizing varieties that are 'self-fertile', i.e. self-fertilizing (as in apricots, for example), allows planting plots with only one variety (without the need for an additional variety for fertilization - male and female) that yield a high yield, regardless of the environmental conditions at the time of fertilization, such as temperatures or bee activity such as Also saving agricultural land
Research in molecular genetics and genetic engineering, conducted at the Miguel Research Institute, examines fertilization mechanisms in fruit trees. The research will be useful for increasing the yield, will provide benefits to farmers in considerable savings in agrotechnical expenses, and will allow reasonable costs in the price of the fruit for the consumer.
Genetic characterization of varieties is very important for farmers, because it allows choosing the right combination of planting the varieties in the orchard, to obtain a maximum yield. Characterization of 'self-fertile' varieties, i.e. self-fertilizing (as in apricots for example), allows planting plots of land Only one species (without the need for an additional species for fertilization - male and female) that yield a large crop, regardless of the environmental conditions at the time of fertilization, such as temperatures or bee activity as well as saving agricultural land.
The genetic characterization study is carried out in the molecular genetics laboratory at the Miguel Research Institute by Dr. Amir Raz and headed by Prof. Martin Goldway, which is focused on In creating self-fertile varieties and characterizing new varieties,
על ידי The study of the flowering mechanisms of the fruit trees, while specializing in rose trees - deciduous trees (apple, pear, apricot, plum, almond), in which there is A natural mechanism of "self-incompatibility", which prevents the flowers on the fruit trees from fertilizing themselves. (For example: a single plum tree in the garden will yield very few fruits, due to the presence of a "self-incompatibility" mechanism)
When there are different levels of "self-incompatibility" in the different varieties.
The researchers performed genetic tests, with the aim of discovering the level of 'self-adaptation' of each variety, and what are its abilities in fertilizing other varieties, and The mechanism of "self-incompatibility" from the point of view of molecular activity. In the study, it was found that in some varieties there is a mutation in the mechanism, as a result of which the trees are able to fertilize themselves, such as an apricot fruit from the 'Raanana' variety. As part of the study, Dr. Raz and researchers from other groups characterized the mutation that allows the tree to produce fruit, and this characterization helps farmers and researchers Those who cultivate new varieties, who wish to characterize this feature at the beginning of the cultivation process, so that all the cultivation products will be fruitful for themselves.
In the world of research and science, there are few research communities that deal with the issue of genetic fertilization in trees, and a number of laboratories in the world that study the mechanisms. Some of them concentrate on annual plants from the Solanaceae family (tobacco, tomato, petunia) which are easier to study.
In the molecular genetics laboratory at the Miguel Research Institute, we specialize in the field of fertilization and conduct various studies in the field for 15 years, with the latest studies aimed at breaking the "self-incompatibility" mechanism in the apple trees in two ways:
- Creating a mutation in the gene that controls the mechanism, using a genomic editing system (CRISPR-Cas9)
- The transfer of the characteristic of the quince fruit to the apple varieties through hybridization. The research shows that there are quince varieties (a variety close to the apple) that are 'self-fertile', that is, the mechanism in them is naturally broken, and this feature can be used in the new apple varieties.
Dr. Raz researches the production of 'self-fertile' apple varieties, by creating a mutation in the fertilization mechanism through genetic engineering. To this end, applicable and effective methods for genetic engineering in trees are being examined, which are intended to improve the existing methods. according to Dr. Raz: "Research in trees is challenging, because each tree has to grow for several years until it bears fruit, so the duration of the research is longer and more difficult, and at the same time, The research will be useful in finding varieties that can fertilize themselves."
At the same time, the molecular genetics laboratory in Miguel also started research on avocado fertilization, following a research grant from the chief scientist at the Ministry of Agriculture, since avocados are now considered a sought-after food in the world and are an industry with intense growth, and with high returns per breeder, a trend that is expected to continue, and therefore many farmers are switching to avocado cultivation. In recent years, Israel has become a leading avocado exporter and powerhouse in the world.
The new study, Will check the The flowering mechanism in the avocado tree, which prevents the tree from fertilizing itself and requires the farmer to plant two varieties in the orchard (for example, planting the Haas and Ettinger varieties side by side, in order for there to be mutual fertilization between them).
The new research focuses on In the unique mechanism of the avocado from a genetic point of view; to identify which genes are responsible for flowering; The flower opens once as a female and then closes, and after a day the flower opens again as a male. The distinction between the flowers is formal; When the flower opens as a female, the female organs are mature (petiole and ovary), while the male organs (stamens) are not yet ready and mature. On the second day, when the flower opens as a male, the stamens are erect and release the pollen they contain. In the laboratory, they check when the flower stops being fertile, and according to the findings, this probably happens before the avocado flower opens as a male, so another flower of a different variety is needed, to improve it. The way in which the avocado flowers avoid self-fertilization and open in two stages - has been known to avocado growers since time immemorial. In the molecular genetics laboratory at the Miguel Research Institute, we are trying to understand the genetic and molecular processes that control this form of flowering, in order to propose ways to change the mechanism so that better self-fertilization is possible.
"It is especially important to us, and this is our goal, that the information obtained from the research in the molecular genetics laboratory at the Miguel Research Institute is transmitted to the farmers, whose success is our success, as well as seeing the best interests of the consumers, in terms of the quality of the fruit and its price, which is before our eyes." says Dr. Raz.
