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Project title

Genetic characterisation of flowering time control in hemp

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

Hemp has enormous carbon sequestration potential. This research will provide a greater understanding about Hemp flowering time control which is of great interest to breeders and will provide opportunities to replicate the process to unique Irish soil systems and circumstances. Cannabis sativa is an extremely versatile crop that can be utilised for fibre, biofuel, oil production and medicinal purposes. Cannabis is broadly classified as marijuana, which typically contains high levels of the psychotropic drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or as hemp, which possesses minimal THC concentrations. However, because marijuana may be used for illicit purposes, the growth of Cannabis was banned in many countries throughout the world, with hemp cultivation only permitted in some countries in recent years. A consequence of this is that developmental, genetic, and agricultural studies in hemp are still in their infancy and lag behind virtually every other modern crop. For my PhD, I am conducting a genetic characterisation of flowering time control in hemp. Flowering time is a crucial, agriculturally important trait that is directly linked to yield, growth characteristics and plant height. Understanding flowering time is critical for producing hemp cultivars adapted to specific latitudinal lines and climatic conditions. A major aim of my PhD project is to elucidate the genetic control of flowering in the Finnish hemp cultivar FINOLA. Most hemp cultivars are short-day plants, meaning they only flower when the day length drops below 12-14 hours, usually in autumn. However, FINOLA is photoperiod-insensitive, meaning it flowers after a defined number of days post-germination irrespective of the day length. Therefore, FINOLA flowers much faster than typical photoperiod-sensitive hemp cultivars. Consequently, FINOLA is the most popular cultivar grown in Ireland and Canada where summer days can be over 17 hours long. Hence, plant breeders in the northern hemisphere are especially interested in the genetic control of flowering time in FINOLA. I am currently conducting a quantitative trait loci analysis on an F2 population formed from a cross between FINOLA and the late-flowering cultivar Felina32. While candidate genes are being identified for this photoperiod-insensitive flowering phenotype, I am applying for a Fulbright award to investigate whether the same candidate genes are at play in other hemp cultivars. To do so, I will utilise amplicon sequencing to assess the role of candidate genes in flowering time in a geographically diverse panel of hemp cultivars. This will facilitate the formation of a hemp haplotype map for flowering time genes and strengthen potential causal relationships between flowering time gene alleles and the photoperiod-insensitive flowering phenotype.

Grant Approved

�11,472.00

Research Hub

Climate research

Research Theme

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Start Date

05/01/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

04/07/2022