Genetic Improvement for Disease-resistant Chili Peppers
Via Frontiers in Plant Science
The Story
Genetic improvement is helping breeders develop disease resistant chili peppers to counter pathogens that cause major yield losses in Capsicum production worldwide.
Phytophthora capsici root rot ranks among the most destructive threats, alongside anthracnose, powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, root knot nematode, and viruses such as cucumber mosaic virus and pepper mottle virus.
Modern genomic tools accelerate the work, including genome wide association studies with SNP markers, QTL mapping, marker assisted selection using KASP assays, genomic selection, and CRISPR Cas9 gene editing.
The short arm of chromosome P5 emerges as a major genetic hotspot for Phytophthora resistance, and recent studies identified 117 significant marker trait associations across chromosomes 5, 7, and 11.
Breeding goals extend beyond resistance to yield, mechanical harvestability, capsaicinoid heat levels, and nutritional quality.
Researchers advocate combining genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics to speed development of resilient cultivars that protect growers and reduce reliance on chemical fungicides.
Phytophthora capsici root rot ranks among the most destructive threats, alongside anthracnose, powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, root knot nematode, and viruses such as cucumber mosaic virus and pepper mottle virus.
Modern genomic tools accelerate the work, including genome wide association studies with SNP markers, QTL mapping, marker assisted selection using KASP assays, genomic selection, and CRISPR Cas9 gene editing.
The short arm of chromosome P5 emerges as a major genetic hotspot for Phytophthora resistance, and recent studies identified 117 significant marker trait associations across chromosomes 5, 7, and 11.
Breeding goals extend beyond resistance to yield, mechanical harvestability, capsaicinoid heat levels, and nutritional quality.
Researchers advocate combining genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics to speed development of resilient cultivars that protect growers and reduce reliance on chemical fungicides.
Go Deeper
Read the original reporting at Frontiers in Plant Science.
Read Full Story at Frontiers in Plant Science →