This book collates the most up to date information on Fragaria and Rubus genomes. It focuses
on the latest advances in the model system Fragaria vesca along with the allied advances in
economically important crops. Covering both basic and applied aspects of crop genomics it
illustrates strategies and resources for the study and utilization of genome sequences and
aligned functional genomics resources.Rosaceous berries are collectively an increasingly
important set of high-value global crops with a trade value of over £2 billion dollars per
annum. The rosaceous berries strawberry raspberry and blackberry share some common features at
the genome scale namely a range of ploidy levels in each genus and high levels of
heterozygosity (and associated inbreeding depression) due to self-incompatibility systems
dioecy or multispecies hybridization events. Taken together although the genomes are
relatively compact these biological features lead to significant challenges in the assembly
and analysis of berry genomes which until very recently have hampered the progress of
genome-level studies.The genome of the woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca a self-compatible
species with a homozygous genome was first sequenced in 2011 and has served as a foundation for
most genomics work in Fragaria and to some extent Rubus. Since that time building upon this
resource there have been significant advances in the development of genome sequences for
related crop species. This coupled with the revolution in affordable sequencing technology
has led to a suite of genomics studies on Fragaria and more recently Rubus which undoubtedly
aid crop breeding and production in future years.
