The genetic heritage of just a handful of apples dominates commercial production, according to an analysis in the science journal Horticultural Research this month.
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The top 8 cultivars (really, top 3) dominate the orchard genome |
The authors ( Migicovsky et al.) suggest that the lopsided use of these "elite cultivars" by apple breeders "leaves the apple industry vulnerable to evolving pests and pathogens and a changing climate."
The study applies recent advances in gene-sequencing technology to the USDA apple germplasm collection. These new methods make feasible an analysis of this scope.