Thanks, Mary. Appreciate the support 🙌 Now you just have to try the results of our breeding program. Warning: they’re dangerously tasty! 🌱😋

9/9 By integrating pre-breeding, Crop Wild Relatives, and genomic tools, we are dissecting the genetic architecture of key traits in asparagus — paving the way for more efficient and scientifically driven breeding.
#PlantBreeding #Genomics #AsparagusResearch

8/9 The data generated will help connect genotype, biology, and agronomic performance, strengthening the foundations of knowledge-based breeding.
#SystemsBiology #PlantScience

7/9 To address this, several experiments are currently underway, integrating phenotyping and genomic analyses to disentangle genetic effects from sex-related variation.
#ExperimentalDesign #GenomicTools

6/9 An important question emerges:
Could sex identity influence stalk number, acting as a confounding factor in phenotypic evaluation?
#PlantSexuality #Phenotyping

5/9 Our current focus is on a crucial agronomic trait: stalk number per plant. Understanding its molecular basis is key to improving yield-related traits.
#QuantitativeTraits #Yield

4/9 These introgressions provide access to novel alleles and adaptive variation, often absent from elite germplasm, and are central to sustainable breeding strategies.
#PlantGenetics #SustainableAgriculture

3/9 One key milestone: we have developed a tetraploid population carrying introgressions from Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), expanding the genetic diversity available for asparagus breeding.
#CropWildRelatives #PreBreeding #GeneticDiversity

2/9 We sincerely thank @ageinves.bsky.social for their support, which is essential to push forward long-term, high-quality research in plant breeding.
#ResearchFunding #AgriScience

9/ 🌍🌰 Ultimately, our work is about resilience. By equipping researchers with genetic tools, we’re helping secure the future of Castanea sativa in a warming world. 🌡️ #Conservation #ClimateResilience #TreeGenetics #Bioinformatics

acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

8/ 🧬 Practical impact: We now have candidate genes to develop molecular markers. These can help screen & select drought-tolerant chestnuts—boosting conservation & breeding programs. 🌳🌱

7/ 💡 Beyond just finding genes, our study offers a reliable framework for researchers working with species that don't have a complete genome. You don't always need a full genome to do groundbreaking work! Our approach can guide studies working with those species.