ISHS Acta Horticulturae 461: International Symposium on Biotechnology of Tropical and Subtropical Species Part 2
POTENTIAL FOR THE USE OF MOLECULAR MARKERS IN IMPROVEMENT OF MUSA FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE REVIEWED PAPER |
| Authors: | L.W. Smith, E.A. Aitken, I.D. Godwin |
| Abstract:
Breeding improved commercially acceptable Musa cultivars with disease resistance has proven to be a difficult task. This is mostly because of the ploidy levels involved and subsequent sterility. Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) race 4 is a pathogen that threatens to decimate ‘Cavendish’ plantations around the world. No chemical control exists and the only hope lies in the development of a resistant cultivar. To assess germplasm from breeding programs for resistance, the plants are exposed to the pathogen in the field. Field screening is, however, greatly influenced by environmental factors and requires a lot of area and time. Molecular markers have increased the efficiency of breeding programs in other crops. In this paper we shall discuss how molecular markers can aid in the search for a Foc race 4 resistant cultivar. | |
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