Frost and Cold Tolerant Tomato Breeding including epigenetic and regular genetic

[Andrew Barney]

I should really dig out my notes so I can talk about it more scientifically,  but something I learned / confirmed in my genetics class last semester is that epigenetics and genetics ARE linked like i thought. Basically there is a phenomenon where epigenetics will use methyl tags to silence genes not being used. Every time the normal DNA enzymes go to copy that DNA there is a certain chance that it will skip over it and that silenced gene will be left out permanently. The more times epigenetics has silenced the same gene over and over and this process happens over and over I figure the statistical likelihood goes up that is will transition from epigenetic to genetic.

So the basic takeaway is yes, epigenetic changes caused by the environment can eventually (over many generations if left in the same environment) cause permanent DNA changes.

[ImGrimmer]

On March 8, I sowed tomatoes directly into the bed. ; My own line, some old seeds from plants with which I started breeding years ago and some Ph 2 and 3 lines.
My own and the old seeds have sprouted, still very small, none of the Ph2 and 3 lines yet. My lines seems to have potential.
There have also been night frosts in the past few weeks, but I'm not sure whether they had already germinated back then.

[Nicollas]

Not breeding per se, but grafting tomatoes on cold tolerant S. habrochaites LA1777 improves growth at sub optimal temps


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0098847208000117

[William S.]

LA 1777 is an important progenitor of the promiscuous tomato project.