Plant & Animal Genome V Conference
Town & Country Hotel, San Diego, CA, January 12-16, 1997.
PAG-V: P247 - USING MOLECULAR MARKERS TO PYRAMID IMPORTANT GENES IN TOMATO BREEDING LINES
P247
USING MOLECULAR MARKERS TO PYRAMID IMPORTANT GENES IN TOMATO BREEDING LINES
IRWIN, SALLY VOGEL(1), John J. Cho(2)
1. Plant Pathology Department, University of Hawaii, Kula Research Station
2. Plant Pathology Dept., Univesity of Hawaii, Kula Research Station
Molecular markers closely linked to genes for resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt Tospovirus ( Sw-5 ), Tobacco Mosaic Virus ( Tm2a and Tm1 ), Root-knot nematode (Mi) and the fruit ripening repressor gene (Rin) are being used to develop tomato breeding lines with multiple disease resistance and increased fruit shelf life. Each of the pathogens listed above causes serious damage to tomato crops every year. Cultivars containing all four genes will be naturally more viable and therefore will produce healthy fruit more consistently with a greater overall yield than other cultivars lacking these genes. Currently, we have selected some University of Hawaii breeding lines which carry one or more of these resistance genes. Known molecular markers flanking these genes are being used to identify multiple resistant individuals generated with the least amount of linkage drag to cross with lines containing the Rin gene. From these crosses resistant plants with superior horticultural traits and improved shelf life will be selected and distributed to seed companies for use in Hawaii, the mainland U.S. and internationally.