BREEDING FOR IMPROVED KERNEL QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS IN AMERICAN HAZELNUT

Objective 1: Understand the phenotypic diversity of nutritional composition and kernel quality characteristics present in American hazelnut and interspecific crossesC. Americana C. Americana C. Avellana Objective 2: Develop high throughput phenotypic assays for assessing kernel nutritional quality traits, using results from Objective one to validate prediction models.C. americana Objective 3: Use Genome Wide Association analysis and linkage mapping to better understand the genetic architecture of nutritional quality traits. Develop genomic prediction models for kernel and nutritional quality to be used in breeding and validate on experimental populations.Questions addressed: Are there large effect QTL for kernel quality traits in American hazelnut and in interspecific crosses between American and European Hazelnut cultivars? Can genomic prediction models aid in selecting for nutritional quality and kernel quality characteristics in hazelnut? Can a low-density genotyping platform for use in genomic prediction to balance cost and accuracy in genomic selection.