Project Coordinator: Pr. Allal DOUIRA (Ibn Tofail University)
Project title:
Olive tree adaptation to climate change: Using genomics and association genetics for varietal selection (ClimGenOlive)
2.Period of the project:
2022-2025
Aim of the project:
. Understanding the biological processes involved in flowering (induction, flowering, cold and heat requirements, flowering rate) and defining the main phenological traits involved in flowering, enabling variety characterization in terms of cold and heat requirements.
. Characterizing drought adaptation mechanisms and defining the main structural and functional traits ensuring the maintenance of a water status that preserves the integrity of the tree’s physiological functions and productive state.
. Exploiting the new tools of genomics and association genetics to identify the genomic regions associated with the main phenotypic traits linked to cold/flowering requirements and drought tolerance in order to define a combination of genomic markers associated with adaptive traits useful for characterizing local genetic resources and selecting the genotypes best adapted to changes.
Funding partners:
Ministry of Higher education, Scientific Research and Innovation
Hassan II Scientific and Technical Academy – Rabat
Cadi Ayyad University – Marrakech
Ibn Tofail University – Kénitra
National Institute for Agronomic Research – Rabat
Scientific, environmental, and economic impact:
In terms of research
Better understanding of biological processes linked to flower induction, dormancy, cold and heat requirements and flowering rate.
Identification of genetic and environmental effects linked to flowering dates of Mediterranean varieties.
Establishment and validation of relationships between cold and heat requirements and flowering.
Identification of eco-physiological mechanisms explaining differential varietal behavior with respect to drought.
Contribution to the exploration of the genomics of adaptation through the identification of genes and allelic variants involved in the adaptation of olive trees to winter cold and water deficits.
Identification and validation of a combination of genomic markers associated with phenotypic traits related to olive adaptation to winter cold deficit and summer water deficit.
In terms of application:
Classification of 200-205 Mediterranean varieties according to their flowering dates, cold requirements for flowering and drought tolerance.
Selection of elite varieties best adapted to winter cold and summer water deficits.
Definition of a combination of reliable genomic markers for the genetic characterization of olive tree genetic resources.
Identification of the most decisive traits that can be used in the selection program for genotypes adapted to water deficit.
Characterization of the phenotypic plasticity of the Moroccan Picholine variety along the north-south gradient and in correlation with bioclimatic stages, enabling the defining of adaptation maps for the olive tree.