Marker-Assisted Recurrent Selection for Pyramiding Leaf Rust and Coffee Berry Disease Resistance Alleles in Coffea arabica L

Laura Maritza Saavedra; Eveline Teixeira Caixeta; Geleta Dugassa Barka; Aluízio Borém; Laércio Zambolim; Moysés Nascimento; Cosme Damião Cruz; Antonio Carlos Baião de Oliveira; Antonio Alves Pereira

doi:10.3390/genes14010189

Marker-Assisted Recurrent Selection for Pyramiding Leaf Rust and Coffee Berry Disease Resistance Alleles in Coffea arabica L

Genes (Basel). 2023 Jan 10;14(1):189. doi: 10.3390/genes14010189.

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária-Bioagro, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil.
² Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), Embrapa Coffee, Brasília 70770-901, DF, Brazil.
³ Department of Applied Biology, School of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama 1888, Ethiopia.
⁴ Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil.
⁵ Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil.
⁶ Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-000, MG, Brazil.
⁷ Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais-Epamig, Viçosa 36570-000, MG, Brazil.

Abstract

In this study, marker-assisted recurrent selection was evaluated for pyramiding resistance gene alleles against coffee leaf rust (CLR) and coffee berry diseases (CBD) in Coffea arabica. A total of 144 genotypes corresponding to 12 hybrid populations from crosses between eight parent plants with desired morphological and agronomic traits were evaluated. Molecular data were used for cross-certification, diversity study and resistance allele marker-assisted selection (MAS) against the causal agent of coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) and coffee berry disease (Colletotrichum kahawae). In addition, nine morphological and agronomic traits were evaluated to determine the components of variance, select superior hybrids, and estimate genetic gain. From the genotypes evaluated, 134 were confirmed as hybrids. The genetic diversity between and within populations was 75.5% and 24.5%, respectively, and the cluster analysis revealed three primary groups. Pyramiding of CLR and CBD resistance genes was conducted in 11 genotypes using MAS. A selection intensity of 30% resulted in a gain of over 50% compared to the original population. Selected hybrids with increased gain also showed greater genetic divergence in addition to the pyramided resistance alleles. The strategies used were, therefore, efficient to select superior coffee hybrids for recurrent selection programs and could be used as a source of resistance in various crosses.

Keywords: coffee berry diseases; coffee leaf rust; durable resistance; gene pyramiding.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alleles
Coffea* / genetics
Disease Resistance* / genetics
Plant Diseases / genetics

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the Brazilian Coffee Research and Development Consortium (Consórcio Pesquisa Café-CBP and D/Café), by the Foundation for Research Support of the state of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), by the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), by the National Institutes of Science and Technology of Coffee (INCT/Café) and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).