Origanum vulgare Genome sequencing

KI-Ov1750 was selected as an individual plant from a segregating population of oregano plants based on its very high level of carvacrol (>5% on a dry matter basis). A segregating population derived from a cross between O. vulgare ssp. viniculum and O. vulgare ssp. hirtum was obtained from Turkey. Seed from this cross was planted in the greenhouse and plants were grown to a point where leaf tissue could be harvested. Leaf tissue was dried, ground and extracted using solvents. Carvacrol and thymol levels of each plant in the population were compared to a purchased standard using a validated HPLC method. Vegetative cuttings of each greenhouse-grown plant were planted in the field for verification. Of 16 individual high carvacrol plants selected from the population of >200 plants, KI-Ov1750 showed the most vigorous growth which makes it an agronomically feasible crop to grow. Cuttings of KI-Ov1750 were used to vegetatively propagate this plant into a unique clonal line. The KI-Ov1750 clonal line was tested under field conditions which confirmed the agronomic feasibility of this unique clonal line to produce carvacrol in its leaf tissue at sufficient quantities to allow for economic extraction. KI-Ov1750 was fully sequenced at the DNA level.