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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310333
Title: QTL mapping for resistance to frosty pod and black pod diseases in an f1 population of Theobroma cacao L

Author
item Gutierrez, Osman
item PHILLIPS-MORA, WILBERTH - Catie Tropical Agricultural Research
item ROYAERT, STEFAN - Mars, Inc
item LIVINGSTIONE III, DONALD - Mars, Inc
item Kuhn, David
item Boza, Edward
item Tondo, Cecile
item SCHNELL, RAYMOND - Mars, Inc
item MOTAMAYOR, JUAN - Mars, Inc

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a native crop of the Americas; however severe losses due to frosty pod (FP) [Moniliophthora roreri (Cif. and Par.)], and black pod (BP) [Phytophthora palmivora (Butl.) Butl.] have reduced cacao in the Americas to only 13.0% of world production. Agronomic practices to control the spread of the diseases, such as removal of infested pods as well as fungicide applications, increase production costs and create environmental concerns. Environmentally sound and effective methods for approaching these diseases require the discovery and use of molecular markers closely associated with FP and BP resistance traits in cacao, in order to accelerate the development of resistant varieties in breeding programs. In the present study, our objectives were to: (i) discover single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers linked with FP and BP resistance Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs), and (ii) map associated SSR markers to specific chromosomes. A heterozygous F1 mapping population of cacao was developed at CATIE in Turrialba, Costa Rica by crossing the resistant BP accession ‘Pound 7’ with the resistant FP accession ‘UF 273’. A total of 181 F1 progeny was scored for resistance to FP and BP and were fingerprinted with 6000 SNP makers. A total of 5,410 polymorphic SNP markers were used to develop a dense linkage map composed of 10 linkage groups that was used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to the FP and BP. QTLs for resistance to FP and BP that were identified across different linkage groups will be discussed. Further research to identify candidate genes for resistance to FP and BP within mapped QTLs will be pursued.