The Citrus Breeding Group aims to develop new citrus cultivars that exhibit stable resistance to physiological disorders and diseases whose risks are increasing under climate change. To this end, the group conducts evaluation and selection based on planned hybridization, the raising of breeding seedlings, and systematic trait assessments.
For traits of particular importance in breeding, the group is advancing the development and refinement of early-selection technologies utilizing relevant DNA markers and related tools. By implementing these technologies at breeding sites, the group seeks to effectively expand breeding scale and improve breeding efficiency.
Furthermore, the group is promoting the practical application of data-driven smart breeding technologies centered on genomic prediction models that estimate fruit quality traits and agronomic traits from individual genomic information.
In addition, with a view toward the smooth dissemination of newly developed citrus cultivars, the group is addressing challenges related to postharvest storage performance in addition to conducting cultivation trials, while also developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and various technical manuals.
At the same time, the group is strengthening the foundational platform that supports sustainable and leading-edge breeding research through the systematic evaluation and management of citrus genetic resources and the database development of related information.
