In vitro and molecular approaches combined with conventional methods to improve small fruit crops

In vitro and molecular techniques are important biotechnological tools that can be used to speed up production technologies in horticultural crops. Commercially important small fruits including Fragaria (strawberry; Rosaceae), Rubus (brambles: raspberry and blackberry; Rosaceae) and Vaccinium (blueberry, cranberry and lingonberry; Ericaceae) are health promoting berry crops with significant role in anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp. L.), cranberries (V. macrocarpon Ait.)
and lingonberries (V. vitis-idaea. L.) are three small fruit crops important to northern climates of Canada. Wildberry production systems are changing to a more intensive cultivated system leading to an urgent need for developing new techniques for selecting and establishing
high-yielding, pest tolerant small fruit crops adapted to changed environment. The presentation focuses on: wildberry germplasm collection, their characterization at molecular, morphological and biochemical levels, and their maintenance, propagation and utilization in hybrid development programs using biotechnological approaches combined with conventional methods. Hybrids obtained through crossing between half-high/highbush and lowbush blueberry genotypes and between Canadian and European lingonberries were cultured, selected and propagated under in vitro condition, their clonal fidelity were monitored using molecular markers and evaluated for frost, drought and pest resistance under greenhouse and
field conditions. Biotechnology complements rather than replaces classical breeding in small fruit improvement and production systems.