Applications of Biotechnology to Tropical Fruit Crops in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Tropical fruits play an important role in the economy of Queensland. The major crops are banana, mango, pineapple and papaya. For the past 20 years, biotechnology has been applied to tropical fruit species in Queensland. Micropropagation systems have been developed for banana, pineapple, papaya, passionfruit and coffee; and good embryogenic protocols have been employed in banana, mango and papaya. A program of intergeneric hybridisation between papaya and related Vasconcella species has continued since 1991 and has been facilitated by embryo rescue and plantlet production, and micropropagation in vitro. Cryopreservation protocols are being developed for several tropical fruit species. Transformation systems have been used to produce disease resistant genotypes of papaya and to prevent blackheart, to control flowering and delay ripening of pineapple. Molecular marker technology has been used for genotype identification and to confirm intergeneric hybrids between papaya and related Vasconcella species. Molecular maps have been developed for two Vasconcella species. Genetic diversity within mangosteen populations and between related wild species has been evaluated with RAF markers. Specific DAF markers have been identified for sex determination in papaya, and SCAR markers have been developed to identify dwarfism in bananas and the PRSV-P resistant gene in Vasconcella cundinamarcensis.