Molecular Breeding for Plant Disease Resistance

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 10603

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università di Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Interests: plant genetics; plant breeding; biotechnology; bioinformatic; stress resistance; gene-environment interaction

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università di Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Interests: crop traits genetics; molecular breeding; grapevine genetics; genomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants in their natural environment must inevitably coexist with other organisms. This coexistence is not always “peaceful” and they often find themselves attacked by a wide variety of pathogens, which can also get the best of them. Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) and molecular breeding strategies are helping the breeder considerably in developing resistant genotypes and represent a winning strategy to speed up the breeding programs. Furthermore, advancements in sequencing techniques and genomics, high throughput genotyping and advanced statistical approaches strongly support the development of new breeding strategies in disease resistance.

This special issue will collect scientific papers concerning the whole process of identification and use of markers and genetic strategies for breeding disease-resistant plants. Therefore, we will include articles mainly focused on the following subjects:

  • discovery and exploitation of new genetic resources for disease resistance (including those from wild relatives);
  • marker assisted selection and innovative molecular breeding tools and approaches;
  • statistical methods in molecular breeding for disease resistance;
  • strategies and molecular techniques for the development of new or improved markers for resistance;
  • newly identified molecular markers/genes/metabolites linked to disease resistance (monogenic or polygenic resistance);
  • germplasm screening for selection of resistant genotypes.

Dr. Chiara Broccanello
Dr. Diana Bellin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • molecular marker
  • plant breeding
  • breeding approaches
  • stress resistance
  • genetic diversity new biotechnological tools

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1884 KiB  
Article
Exploring Disease Resistance in Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Germplasm Collection Using Fluidigm SNP Genotyping
by Nayoung Ro, Gi-An Lee, Ho-Cheol Ko, Hyeonseok Oh, Sukyeung Lee, Mesfin Haile and Jundae Lee
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101344 - 13 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3340
Abstract
This study utilized a diverse Capsicum accessions (5658) sourced from various species and geographical regions, deposited at the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Genebank. We employed 19 SNP markers through a Fluidigm genotyping system and screened these accessions against eight prevalent diseases of pepper. This [...] Read more.
This study utilized a diverse Capsicum accessions (5658) sourced from various species and geographical regions, deposited at the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Genebank. We employed 19 SNP markers through a Fluidigm genotyping system and screened these accessions against eight prevalent diseases of pepper. This study revealed accessions resistant to individual diseases as well as those exhibiting resistance to multiple diseases, including bacterial spot, anthracnose, powdery mildew, phytophthora root rot, and potyvirus. The C. chacoense accessions were identified as resistant materials against bacterial spot, anthracnose, powdery mildew, and phytophthora root rot, underscoring the robust natural defense mechanisms inherent in the wild Capsicum species and its potential uses as sources of resistance for breeding. C. baccatum species also demonstrated to be a promising source of resistance to major pepper diseases. Generally, disease-resistant germplasm has been identified from various Capsicum species. Originating from diverse locations such as Argentina, Bolivia, and the United Kingdom, these accessions consistently demonstrated resistance, indicating the widespread prevalence of disease-resistant traits across varied environments. Additionally, we selected ten pepper accessions based on their resistance to multiple diseases, including CMV, Phytophthora root rot, potyviruses, and TSWV, sourced from diverse geographical regions like Hungary, Peru, the United States, and the Netherlands. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into disease resistance in Capsicum, crucial for fostering sustainable agricultural practices and advancing crop improvement through breeding strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Breeding for Plant Disease Resistance)
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15 pages, 2142 KiB  
Article
Genetic Mapping of Tolerance to Bacterial Stem Blight Caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
by Yeidymar Sierra Moya, Cesar Medina, Bianca Herrera, Fabian Chamba, Long-Xi Yu, Zhanyou Xu and Deborah A. Samac
Plants 2024, 13(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010110 - 29 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1817
Abstract
The bacterial stem blight of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), first reported in the United States in 1904, has emerged recently as a serious disease problem in the western states. The causal agent, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, promotes frost damage and disease that [...] Read more.
The bacterial stem blight of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), first reported in the United States in 1904, has emerged recently as a serious disease problem in the western states. The causal agent, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, promotes frost damage and disease that can reduce first harvest yields by 50%. Resistant cultivars and an understanding of host-pathogen interactions are lacking in this pathosystem. With the goal of identifying DNA markers associated with disease resistance, we developed biparental F1 mapping populations using plants from the cultivar ZG9830. Leaflets of plants in the mapping populations were inoculated with a bacterial suspension using a needleless syringe and scored for disease symptoms. Bacterial populations were measured by culture plating and using a quantitative PCR assay. Surprisingly, leaflets with few to no symptoms had bacterial loads similar to leaflets with severe disease symptoms, indicating that plants without symptoms were tolerant to the bacterium. Genotyping-by-sequencing identified 11 significant SNP markers associated with the tolerance phenotype. This is the first study to identify DNA markers associated with tolerance to P. syringae. These results provide insight into host responses and provide markers that can be used in alfalfa breeding programs to develop improved cultivars to manage the bacterial stem blight of alfalfa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Breeding for Plant Disease Resistance)
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Review

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27 pages, 12535 KiB  
Review
Modern Breeding Strategies and Tools for Durable Late Blight Resistance in Potato
by Ioana Virginia Berindean, Abdelmoumen Taoutaou, Soumeya Rida, Andreea Daniela Ona, Maria Floriana Stefan, Alexandru Costin, Ionut Racz and Leon Muntean
Plants 2024, 13(12), 1711; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13121711 - 20 Jun 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4255
Abstract
Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a major crop worldwide. It occupies the second place after cereals (corn, rice, and wheat). This important crop is threatened by the Oomycete Phytophthora infestans, the agent of late blight disease. This pathogen was first [...] Read more.
Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a major crop worldwide. It occupies the second place after cereals (corn, rice, and wheat). This important crop is threatened by the Oomycete Phytophthora infestans, the agent of late blight disease. This pathogen was first encountered during the Irish famine during the 1840s and is a reemerging threat to potatoes. It is mainly controlled chemically by using fungicides, but due to health and environmental concerns, the best alternative is resistance. When there is no disease, no treatment is required. In this study, we present a summary of the ongoing efforts concerning resistance breeding of potato against this devastating pathogen, P. infestans. This work begins with the search for and selection of resistance genes, whether they are from within or from outside the species. The genetic methods developed to date for gene mining, such as effectoromics and GWAS, provide researchers with the ability to identify genes of interest more efficiently. Once identified, these genes are cloned using molecular markers (MAS or QRL) and can then be introduced into different cultivars using somatic hybridization or recombinant DNA technology. More innovative technologies have been developed lately, such as gene editing using the CRISPR system or gene silencing, by exploiting iRNA strategies that have emerged as promising tools for managing Phytophthora infestans, which can be employed. Also, gene pyramiding or gene stacking, which involves the accumulation of two or more R genes on the same individual plant, is an innovative method that has yielded many promising results. All these advances related to the development of molecular techniques for obtaining new potato cultivars resistant to P. infestans can contribute not only to reducing losses in agriculture but especially to ensuring food security and safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Breeding for Plant Disease Resistance)
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