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Both stable and unstable QTLs for resistance to powdery mildew are detected in apple after four years of field assessments

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Abstract

Powdery mildew, caused by the ascomycete fungus Podosphaera leucotricha, is one of the most damaging diseases of apple worldwide. Polygenically determined resistance might contribute to a significant increase of resistance to this disease in new cultivars. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed in an F1 progeny derived from a cross between the apple cultivar Discovery and the apple hybrid TN10-8. Powdery mildew incidence was assessed during four years (five seasons) in spring and/or autumn in a French local orchard. Seven additive and/or dominant QTLs were detected over the five seasons, with effects (R 2) ranging from 7.5% to 27.4% of the progeny phenotypic variation. Two QTLs, on linkage groups (LGs) 2 and 13, were consistently identified and accounted together from 29% to 37% of the phenotypic variation according to the year of assessment. The other QTLs were identified during one (LGs 1, 14), two (LG10), or three (LGs 8, 17) seasons. Their instability indicated a changing genetic determinism according to the year of assessment, for which several hypotheses may be put forward. The QTLs on LGs 2 and 8 mapped close to clusters of resistance gene analogs (RGAs) and major genes for resistance to mildew or apple scab previously identified. The stable QTLs identified on LGs 2 and 13, together with the strong effect QTL located on LG 8, are of special interest for breeding purposes, especially if combined with other major resistance genes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Arnaud Lemarquand, Gilles Orain, Pascal Cochet, Sylvain Hanteville, and the other members of the ȁ8Unité Expérimentale de Bois lȁ9Abbéȁ9 of INRA–Angers who participated in the powdery mildew scoring. They also thank Caroline Denancé and Fabienne Mathis for their contribution to this study. This research was partly carried out thanks to the financial support of the Commission of the European Communities (HiDRAS project: High-quality Disease Resistance Apples for a Sustainable Agriculture, contract No. QLK5-CT-2002-01492), Directorate-General Research - Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources Programme. It exploited unpublished results from the European project DARE (Durable Apple Resistance in Europe, contract No. FAIR5-CT97-3898). It was also partly supported by the Region Pays de la Loire, France (ȁ8Contrat de Plan Etat-Régionȁ9).

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  1. F. Calenge

    Present address: INRA, Center of Versailles, Unité de Nutrition Azotée des Plantes (NAP), RD10 Route de Saint-Cyr, 78026, Versailles cedex, France

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  1. INRA, Center of Angers, UMR Génétique et Horticulture (GenHort), 42 rue Georges Morel, BP 60057, 49071, Beaucouzé cedex, France

    F. Calenge & C.-E. Durel

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  1. F. Calenge
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  2. C.-E. Durel
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Correspondence to C.-E. Durel.

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Calenge, F., Durel, CE. Both stable and unstable QTLs for resistance to powdery mildew are detected in apple after four years of field assessments. Mol Breeding 17, 329–339 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-006-9004-7

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