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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365644
Research Project: Database Tools for Managing and Analyzing Big Data Sets to Enhance Small Grains Breeding

Location: Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research

Title: Genome-wide association study of resistance to Cassava Green Mite pest and related traits in cassava

Author
item EZENWAKA, LYDIA - National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI)
item PINO DEL CARPIO, DUNIA - Cornell University
item Jannink, Jean-Luc
item RABBI, ISMAIL - International Institute Of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
item DANQUAH, ERIC - University Of Ghana
item ASANTE, ISAAC - University Of Ghana
item DANQUAH, AGYEMANG - University Of Ghana
item BLAY, ESSIE - University Of Ghana
item EGESI, CHIEDOZIE - National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI)

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2018
Publication Date: 7/26/2018
Citation: Ezenwaka, L., Pino Del Carpio, D., Jannink, J., Rabbi, I., Danquah, E., Asante, I., Danquah, A., Blay, E., Egesi, C. 2018. Genome-wide association study of resistance to Cassava Green Mite pest and related traits in cassava. Crop Science. 58(5):1907-1918. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.01.0024.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.01.0024

Interpretive Summary: Cassava is a critical food security crop for hundreds of millions of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Cassava green mite (CGM) outbreaks can devastate cassava yields. We measured CGM severity on advanced breeding lines in Nigeria to identify genes increasing resistance to CGM. We identified an important association between resistance and genes on cassava chromosome 8. The genes identified by this study represent potential sources for the ongoing effort to develop multiple pest- and disease-resistant cassava cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Cassava green mite [CGM, Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar)] is a dry-season pest that usually feeds on the underside of young leaves causing leaf chlorosis, stunted growth, and root yield reduction by 80%. Since cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves and roots serve as a primary staple food source, a decline in cassava yield can lead to household food, nutrition, and income insecurity. To evaluate the exis-tence of CGM resistance alleles in the available germplasm, a diversity panel of 845 advanced breeding lines obtained from IITA, CIAT, and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) were evaluated for CGM severity (CGMS), leaf pubescence (LP), leaf retention (LR), stay green, shoot tip compactness, and shoot tip size. A genome-wide association mapping detected 35 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers significantly associated with CGMS, LP, and LR on chromosome 8. Colocalization of the most significant SNP associated with CGMS, LP, and LR on chromosome 8 is possibly an indication of pleiotropy or the presence of closely linked genes that regulate these traits. Seventeen candidate genes were found to be associated to CGM resistance. These candidate genes were subdivided into seven categories according to their protein structure namely, Zn finger, pentatricopeptide, MYB, MADS, homeodomain, trichome birefringence-related protein, and ethylene-responsive transcription factor genes. This study revealed significant loci associated with CGM, not previously reported, which together represent potential sources for the ongoing effort to develop multiple pest- and disease-resistant cassava cultivars.