The
Vegetable
Gene-c
Improvement
Network
(VeGIN)
is
a
Defra‐funded
project
bringing
together
research
focused
on
key
vegetable
crops.
The
Network
encourages
collabora-ons
between
industry
and
researchers
to
address
how
gene-c
improvement
of
crop
varie-es
can
contribute
to
a
sustainable
increase
in
food
produc-on
to
meet
the
twin
challenges
of
food
security
and
climate
change.
VeGIN
encompasses
research
on
the
gene-c
improvement
of
brassica,
leEuce,
onion
and
carrot
and
will
use
the
gene-c
resource
collec-ons
in
the
Gene-c
Resources
Unit
(GRU).
It
will
benefit
from
knowledge
arising
from
satellite
projects
funded
by
industry
and
other
government
funders
and
provide
underpinning
resources
for
such
projects.
The
aims
of
VeGIN
are:
•  To
develop
the
gene-c
resources
and
tools
to
accelerate
breeding
for
“sustainability
traits”
in
field
vegetables
•  To
establish
an
effec-ve
network
with
industry,
for
knowledge
transfer
to
promote
market
delivery
of
R&D
The
major
UK
vegetable
crops
all
make
an
important
contribu-on
to
a
healthy
UK
diet
and
our
"5‐a‐day".
Diversity
sets
are
being
developed
for
brassica,
leEuce,
onion
and
carrot.
These
are
for
future
use
in
assessing
gene-c
varia-on
for
traits
such
as
resistance
to
key
pests
and
diseases.
Traits
being
inves-gated
include:
Brassica
Nitrogen
content
varia-on
in
Brassica
oleracea
Sources
of
resistance
to
turnip
mosaic
and
turnip
yellows
viruses
Sources
of
resistance
to
diamond
back
moth
(Plutella
xylostella)
Le*uce
Resistance
to
currant‐leEuce
aphid
(Nasonovia
ribisnigri)
Gene-c
analysis
of
nitrate
accumula-on
in
leEuce
Gene-c
analysis
of
post
harvest
discoloura-on
Onion
Sources
of
resistance
to
Fusarium
oxysporum
f.sp.
cepae
Sources
of
alleles
for
improved
compa-bility
with
mycorrhizal
fungi
Carrot
Sources
of
beneficial
alleles
for
improved
seed/seedling
vigour
hEp://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/vegin
For
further
informa-on,
please
contact:
Rosemary
Collier
rosemary.collier@warwick.ac.uk
Tel:
024
7657
5066