Molecular validation of Tomato Yellow Leaf curl Virus (TYLCV) (Ty-1/3, Ty-2 and Ty-3), Fusarium wilt (I-2) and Root- Knot Nematode (Mi-1) resistance in the breeding lines of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Nithyanandam Arumugam1, Saraswathi T.2,*, Pugalendhi L.1, Rani C. Indu1, Manivannan N.3, Harish S.4, Boopathi N. Manikanda5 1Department of Vegetable Science, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 037, India 2Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 037, India 3Centre of Excellence in Molecular Breeding, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 037, India 4Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 037, India 5Department of Plant Biotechnology, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, (CPMB&B), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 037, India *E-Mail: sarasvel_t@yahoo.co.in
Online Published on 18 April, 2024. Abstract Gene based molecular screening for disease resistance has become a prominent and widely adopted approach in contemporary tomato breeding programs, both in the public and private sectors. The effectiveness of disease-resistant molecular screening relies on the selection of suitable markers that span the entire genomic region for accurate identification of resistant alleles. In this study, various co-dominant and dominant Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) markers were employed to screen for resistance genes associated with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TyLCV) Ty-1, Ty-2, Ty-3, Fusarium wilt (race-2) I-2, and Root-knot Nematode ((Meloidogyne incognita) Mi-1. The selected markers exhibited high robustness in distinguishing between resistant and susceptible lines. Co-dominant SCAR markers M2 (Ty-1 gene) and TG0302 (Ty-2 gene) efficiently identify homozygous or heterozygous alleles in Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TyLCV) screening. The P6-25 marker for Ty-3 gene discerns Ty-3, Ty-3a, and Ty-3b alleles, enhancing allele specificity. In Fusarium wilt I-2 gene screening, I-2/5 ensures accurate identification, while in Root-knot Nematode Mi-1 gene screening, co-dominant marker Mi-23 reliably identify and distinguishes homozygous or heterozygous resistant lines without false positives for I-2 and Mi-1 genes. This streamlined marker assisted approach optimizes disease resistance screening in tomato breeding, providing valuable insights for disease resistant cultivar development. Top Keywords Tomato, Resistance breeding, TYLCV, Fusarium wilt, Root knot nematode. Top |