Identification of QTLs for powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis; syn. Sphaerotheca macularis f. sp. fragariae) susceptibility in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa)

Abstract

Strawberry powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis Wallr.) is a pathogen which infects the leaves, fruit, stolon and flowers of the cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa), causing major yield losses, primarily through unmarketable fruit. The primary commercial control of the disease is the application of fungicidal sprays. However, as the use of key active ingredients of commercial fungicides is becoming increasingly restricted, interest in developing novel strawberry cultivars exhibiting resistance to the pathogen is growing rapidly. In this study, a mapping population derived from a cross between two commercial strawberry cultivars (‘Sonata’ and ‘Babette’) was genotyped with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from the Axiom iStraw90k genotyping array and phenotyped for powdery mildew susceptibility in both glasshouse and field environments. Three distinct, significant QTLs for powdery mildew resistance were identified across the two experiments. Through comparison with previous studies and scrutiny of the F. vesca genome sequence, candidate genes underlying the genetic control of this trait were identified.

QTL Analysis for Chlorophyll Content in Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) Leaves

“…The genetic length of the GBS-SNP-based map of the BC-F 2 (3721.3 cM) and Axiom 35K strawberry chip-based SNP map of BS-F 2 (3861 cM) was comparable. Our results are also in agreement of previously reported NGS-based genetic maps of strawberry [19,[22][23][24][25][26].…”

“…In the past few years, with the rapid development of next generation sequencing (NGS)-based molecular marker technologies, it has become achievable to construct a high density genetic map of strawberries. Recently, different NGS-based sequencing technologies have been used to identify the single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNPs) and construct a genetic linkage map of strawberries such as Axiom IStraw 35K array, Axiom IStraw 90k array, ddRAD-seq, SALF-seq, DArT and genotyping-by-sequencing [19,[22][23][24][25][26]. Among these technologies, the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) method is cost effective and is commonly used these days in a broad range of crops for genotyping due to its advantages such as reducing the genome complexity and cost-effectiveness [27][28][29].…”

“…Several QTLs for chlorophyll content and their underlying genes has been identified in wheat, rice, soybean, rapeseed, Chinese cabbage, lettuce and Chinese bayberry [1,3,10,16,18,30,31]. However, in strawberry, QTLs have been reported for the traits such as plant architecture, flowering habits, fruit color, fruit firmness, tolerance to freezing injuries and resistance to powdery mildew [19,20,[23][24][25]32]. Breeding strawberries for high light efficiency by refining photosynthetic efficiency is economically important.…”

Taxonomical and functional composition of strawberry microbiome is genotype-dependent

“…Among these diseases, red stele ( Phytophthora fragariae ), powdery mildew ( Podosphaera aphanis ), and leaf spot are the most serious concerns worldwide [16] . Powdery mildew mainly affects the photosynthetic ability of strawberries cultivated in humid environments [17] , which leads to a strong reduction of growth and productivity with major yield losses [18] . Leaf spot diseases, which in severe conditions may lead to plant death, are caused by different pathogens, including bacteria ( Xanthomonas fragariae ) and fungi ( Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes , Mycosphaerella fragariae , Cercospora fragariae, Mycosphaerella louisianae , Septoria fragariae, S. aciculosa, S. fragariaecola , etc.).…”

WITHDRAWN: Genotype-Dependent Recruitment of the Strawberry Holobiome

“…Among these diseases, red stele (Phytophthora fragariae), powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) and leaf spot are the ones most severely affecting strawberry production worldwide 23 . Powdery mildew mainly affects photosynthetic ability of strawberries cultivated in humid environments , which leads to strong reduction of growth and productivity with major yield losses 25 . Leaf spot diseases, which in severe conditions may led to plant death, are caused by different pathogens, including bacteria (Xanthomonas fragariae) and fungi (Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes, Mycosphaerella fragariae, Cercospora fragariae, Mycosphaerella louisianae, Septoria fragariae, S. aciculosa, S. fragariaecola, etc.).…”