This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This project will study the distribution and evolution of an economically important group of plants in the southeast Pacific region. Artocarpus is the third largest genus in the plant family that contains figs and mulberries (Moraceae). The greatest number of species are distributed from Southeast Asia throughout islands in the Pacific Ocean. Artocarpus contains numerous economically important species that are grown in their native region for timber or fruit. Two species, jackfruit and breadfruit, are cultivated throughout the tropics and are under threat of genetic erosion that can leave them more susceptible to environmental stresses such as disease or droughts. The relationships among Artocarpus species and the genetic diversity within jackfruit and breadfruit cultivars are incompletely understood. Such information is necessary for explaining the evolution and distribution of the genus and identifying the closest wild relatives of cultivated species. Wild relatives as well as genetically diverse cultivars can then be targeted for conservation on-farm and in germplasm collections. The research funded by this grant will combine fieldwork, morphological assessments, and genetic studies to produce a comprehensive revision (available in hard copy and online) of Artocarpus, describing its ecology, evolution and distribution, and including identification keys and information about the origins and genetic diversity of jackfruit and breadfruit.
The results will reach a broad audience and be a significant contribution to the understanding of the evolution of an important genus with economic and subsistence value throughout large parts of the tropics and subtropics. The work will involve collaboration with international scientists and will enhance the training of undergraduate and graduate students in the US and abroad.
