Fecha de publicación: 14/12/2024 Fuente: ISHS (International Society for Horticultural Science) Post date: Saturday 14 December 2024
Author:
ISHS Secretariat

Attiq ur Rehman is a research scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and a PhD candidate at the University of Helsinki, under the supervision of Dr. Tuuli Haikonen. With a robust background in plant breeding and genetics, his doctoral research focuses on strawberry pre-breeding, utilizing advanced genomic tools to explore novel allelic and phenotypic diversity within a “Re-Constructed” (ReC) strawberry population derived from elite selections of the progenitor species Fragaria virginiana and Fragaria chiloensis. Modern strawberry cultivars and wild-collected accessions exhibit significantly reduced heterozygosity and phenotypic diversity compared to early commercial strawberry varieties. In addressing this issue, Attiq employed a multi-model genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate eleven crucial traits within the ReC population. His findings have identified significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions associated with eight field-evaluated traits, including winter survival, plant vigor, flowering time, runner vigor, male and female fertility, berry appearance, and productivity. This detailed characterization of adaptiveness within a highly diverse pre-breeding germplasm holds significant potential for future strawberry breeding efforts. The identified QTLs lay a strong foundation for marker-assisted selection, enabling breeders to enhance desirable traits while reducing the influence of unwanted wild alleles.
Attiq ur Rehman won the ISHS Prof. Jens Wünsche Young Minds Award for the best oral presentation at the International Symposium on Berries between Opportunities and Challenges at EHC2024 in Romania in May 2024. His work not only contributes to the advancement of strawberry breeding but also plays a vital role in addressing the broader challenges of genetic diversity and sustainability within modern agriculture. Part of the work is done under the EU Horizon-funded BreedingValue project.
Attiq ur Rehman, Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke), Toivonlinnantie 518, FI-21500 Piikkiö, Finland, e-mail: attiqurrehman826@gmail.com
The article is available in Chronica HorticulturaeTags: strawberryCategories: Young Minds Award Winners