Identifi cation of garden strawberry haplotypes resistant to late blight caused by Phytophthora cactorum using new HRM markers

This paper presents the results of an investigation of the economically important trait associated with the FaRPc2 locus, which confers resistance to late blight, in 28 garden strawberry and zemklunika cultivars, as well as 10 garden strawberry (F. × ananassa Duch.) hybrids bred at the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. The study employed the molecular genetic HRM markers UFPc2HRM01 and UFPc2HRM04, which are associated with the H2 and H3 haplotypes (sets of alleles located on the same chromosome that are typically inherited together from one parent) of resistance to P. cactorum, respectively. The cultivars Kupchikha, Barynya, and Rubinovyi Kulon, which demonstrated increased resistance to late blight under fi eld conditions, were used as positive controls in two experimental groups. The susceptible cultivar Festival’naya Romashka was also included for comparative analysis. The garden strawberry cultivars Barynya and Rubinovyi Kulon, as well as the zemklunika cultivar Kupchikha carried the fi rst resistance allele of the haplotype H2 in a heterozygous state. In addition, the cultivars Lord and Lyubava were found to carry the H2 haplotype in a stable heterozygous state, whereas the cultivar Baron Solemacher carried the H2 haplotype in a stable homozygous state. The group of genotypes potentially resistant through the H3 haplotype included the cultivars Darselect and Elizaveta 2, both of which carried the haplotype in a homozygous state. A more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying resistance and host responses to the pathogen requires the identifi cation of haplotypes associated with susceptibility to P. cactorum (H1 and H4). This will provide a more detailed characterization of the genetic profi les of the studied cultivars and forms. The cultivars Kupchikha, Lyubava, Barynya, and Rubinovyi Kulon show potential for use in breeding programs. The obtained results may contribute to a better understanding of the inheritance of investigated haplotypes and thereby support the development of more precise and eff ective breeding methods and agricultural practices.

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