Utilizing Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) for Morphological Traits in the F3 Generation of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Abstract

The use of molecular markers has become a pivotal component of molecular breeding programs in tomato. In the third generation of this research, two lines derived from the crossbreeding of commercial hybrids were subjected to detailed analysis using molecular markers by ten RAPD-based primers. Among these primers, six (OPA01, OPA05, OPA07, OPA08, OPA09, and OPB10) successfully amplified targeted DNA regions. Significantly, primer OPA07 uniquely linked specific traits in the first line to distinct bands of 280 and 180 base pairs. In the second line, all six primers achieved amplification, with four primers (OPA07, OPA08, OPA09, and OPB10) associating selected traits with distinct bands of 450, 500, 350, and 450 base pairs, respectively. These bands are likely to serve as marker-assisted selection (MAS) tools, facilitating the selection of plants with desired phenotypic traits in tomato breeding. These markers are expected to greatly improve marker-assisted selection techniques and potentially reveal novel genetic resources, thus enriching the genetic diversity within tomato breeding programs for future advancements.