New and efficient AS-PCR molecular marker for selection of coffee resistant to coffee leaf rust

Abstract

Coffee leaf rust, caused by Hemileia vastatrix, is the most important disease affecting Coffea arabica. The use of molecular markers through marker-assisted selection (MAS) is an effective approach to develop cultivars with multiple and durable resistance, which is economically and environmentally beneficial for this disease control. In this work, a new molecular marker based on allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) associated with the quantitative trait locus (QTL) of the linkage group 5 (LG5), which confers resistance to races I, II and pathotype 001 of H. vastatrix, was developed. The CaRHv10-AS marker was validated in a segregating genetic mapping population of 247 F2 genotypes and demonstrated selection efficiency greater than 97% for genotypes with resistance to three races. Thus, this work provides a fast, robust, and affordable molecular marker for use in MAS, facilitating the development of coffee plants with multiple resistance and ensuring sustainable coffee production.