Progressive Horticulture
Year : 2007, Volume : 39, Issue : 1
First page : ( 5) Last page : ( 16)
Print ISSN : 0970-3020. Online ISSN : 2249-5258.

Genetic Markers: A tool for genetic improvement in fruit crops

Wani S. Nawsheeba, Ahmad M. Feza, Malik Rouf Ahmad

Division of Pomology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 191 121

Online published on 5 April, 2012.

Abstract

Traditional methods of plant breeding based on phenotype are not only slow, costly and difficult but also influenced by environment in which plants grow. Phenotype thus provides an imperfect measure of plant genetic potential. In contrast, assays based on genotype would be more precise and reliable. DNA based markers being numerous in no. and unaffected by environmental and developmental stages have now become an important tool in genetic improvement of fruit crops. Based on the technique to be employed for there use, markers have been classified into two groups as hybridization based markers and PCR based markers. The different DNA markers based on these two techniques that allow geneticists and breeders to look directly at the genotype of the plant are Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism “RFLP”, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA “RAPD”, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism “AFLP”. With the advent of molecular marker technology more and more genes are being identified, more information on linkage maps in several horticultural important crops using markers would also be made available. Genetic diversity has been assessed using DNA markers in several fruit crops which include Avocado, Banana and Blueberry. The success of DNA marker technology would depend on close interaction between plant breeders and biotechnologists, availability of skilled man power and substantial financial investment on research.

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