PEGASUS: Prediction and Exploitation of Genebank Accessions. A Study in Ugandan Sorghum

作物遗传资源的有效利用变得越来越重要，以便培育可持续的、资源高效的作物，提高生产力，在波动的环境限制下养活不断增长的世界人口。现代高通量基因组学方法可以在植物遗传资源的表征、评估和实施方面发挥关键作用，但发展中国家的重要多样性收集往往缺乏实施基因组学工具的资源。例如，乌干达是高粱多样性和驯化的主要中心，高粱是撒哈拉以南非洲最重要的谷类作物，也是数百万人的主食。乌干达国家基因库拥有广泛的，独特的收集2635高粱种质，包括罕见的地方品种和野生种质。这些材料代表了高粱作物适应非生物和生物胁迫因素的遗传和表型多样性的大量储备。然而，这种多样性尚未得到系统的表征和评估，极大地限制了它在培育具有有益于农民的性状的现代高粱品种方面的应用。在以前的工作中，乌干达合作伙伴确定了乌干达和其他地方高粱改良所需的各种重要性状的丰富多样性，包括干旱，冷热胁迫适应性，抗病虫害，上级谷物，饲料和营养品质。德国合作伙伴开发了高粱基因组序列资源和高密度90 k单核苷酸多态性（SNP）基因分型阵列，沿着欧洲气候下用于能源和饲料的高粱杂交种。在DFG与发展中国家合作方案的框架内，该项目将利用这些广泛的资源实现以下科学目标：一）对乌干达高粱种质的遗传多样性进行全面的基因组调查;二）确定一个代表性核心种质; iii）核心收集物的关键性状的详细表型筛选，重点是干旱耐受性作为乌干达高粱生产力的主要限制和早期耐寒性作为德国高粱生产的关键限制因素;iv）阐明目标性状的遗传结构;（v）对整个种质的性状表现进行基因组预测，以确定有价值的基因型，用于保存和育种。该项目为发展中国家利用基因组工具管理和使用有价值的基因库种质提供了一个实际案例研究。此外，它还将为乌干达国家基因库在植物育种和遗传学方面的人力资源能力做出重要贡献，确保向非洲伙伴国家转让技术和知识，并使非洲高粱改良的成果得以长期实施。

Efficient utilisation of crop genetic resources is becoming increasingly important in order to breed sustainable, resource-efficient crops with increased productivity to feed the growing world population under fluctuating environmental constraints. Modern, high-throughput genomics methods can play a key role in characterising, evaluating and implementing plant genetic resources, however important diversity collections in developing countries often lack the resources to implement genomics tools. For example, Uganda is a major centre of diversity and domestication of sorghum, the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa and a staple food for millions of people. The Uganda national genebank harbours an extensive, unique collection of 2635 sorghum accessions, including rare landraces and wild germplasm. These materials represent a substantial reservoir of genetic and phenotypic diversity for adaptation of sorghum crops to abiotic and biotic stress factors. However, this diversity has not yet been systematically characterised and evaluated, strongly limiting its utilisation to breed modern sorghum varieties with beneficial traits for farmers.In previous work, the Ugandan partner identified rich diversity for various important traits needed in sorghum improvement in Uganda and elsewhere, including drought, cold and heat stress adaptation, resistance to pests and diseases, superior grain, fodder and nutritional quality. The German partner developed genome sequence resources and a high-density 90k single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array for sorghum, along with sorghum hybrids for energy and fodder use in European climates. Within the framework of the DFG programme for cooperation with developing countries, this project will utilise these extensive resources to achieve the following scientific objectives:i) A comprehensive genome survey of genetic diversity in the Ugandan sorghum collection;ii) Definition of a representative core collection based;iii) Detailed phenotypic screening of the core collection for key traits, with a focus on drought tolerance as the major limitation for Ugandan sorghum productivity and early-stage cold tolerance as a key limiting factor for German sorghum production;iv) Elucidation of the genetic architecture of target traits;v) Genomic prediction of trait performance in the entire collection to identify valuable genotypes for preservation and breeding.The project presents a practical case study for management and use of valuable genebank collections in developing countries using genomic tools. It will furthermore make an important contribution to the human resource capacity of the Uganda National Genebank in plant breeding and genetics, ensuring technology and knowledge transfer to the African partner country and enabling long-term implementation of the results for African sorghum improvement.